Amsterdam Duck vs Blue-billed Teal
Anas marecula в сравнении с Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Характеристика | Amsterdam Duck | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Научное название | Anas marecula | Spatula hottentota |
| Отряд | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Семейство | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Охранный статус | Extinct | Least Concern |
| Длина | — | — |
| Размах крыльев | — | 29,4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Масса | 289,5 g (10.21 oz) | 269,2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Питание | Extinct Auckland Islands Merganser; fed on freshwater fish and aquatic invertebrates in streams; inferred from … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Размер кладки | -- | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Amsterdam Duck
Historically restricted to Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Now extinct. Presumably inhabited the island's freshwater sources and coastal areas.
Blue-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal rains. Common but easily overlooked among reed beds.
Song & Call Comparison
Amsterdam Duck
Extinct (EX). No recordings exist. As an Anas relative, likely gave a typical duck-like quacking call; male may have had a soft whistled note similar to other island teals.
Blue-billed Teal
Male utters a soft, teal-like peep; female gives a muted quack. Pairs call quietly in dense papyrus; soft contact calls help birds maintain proximity in thick African marsh vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Amsterdam Duck
Breeds on sub-Antarctic islands of the South Indian Ocean; disperses across the Southern Ocean when not nesting.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Охранный статус
Amsterdam Duck
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Amsterdam Duck
Extinct Amsterdam Island duck known only from bones and a single historical description. Presumably brown plumage typical of Anas dabbling ducks. Flightless or near-flightless; extirpated by introduced predators.
Blue-billed Teal
Small; males have pale blue-gray bill contrasting with brown-gray body. Head finely spotted; underparts barred brown and white. Males show powder-blue forewing in flight. Females browner. African marsh species.
About These Birds
Amsterdam Duck
An extinct diving duck known from subfossil remains discovered on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Flightless or nearly flightless; probably resembled the Laysan Duck in size. Went extinct around 1800 following human colonization of the island.
Blue-billed Teal
A small dark teal with blue-grey bill and legs, brown-streaked plumage, and fine pale spotting on the flanks. The most widespread teal in sub-Saharan Africa. Found on freshwater lakes and marshes. Highly nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. Swims low in the water like a pochard.