Masked Duck vs Blue-billed Teal
Nomonyx dominicus в сравнении с Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Характеристика | Masked Duck | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Научное название | Nomonyx dominicus | Spatula hottentota |
| Отряд | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Семейство | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Охранный статус | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Длина | — | — |
| Размах крыльев | 27,6 cm (10.9 in) | 29,4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Масса | 361,0 g (12.73 oz) | 269,2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Питание | Dives and dabbles for aquatic seeds, plant matter, and invertebrates in freshwater marshes and ponds … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Размер кладки | 4-6 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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
Masked Duck
Male emits a soft, dove-like cooing note; female gives a harsh, emphatic quack. The male's gentle, almost melodic cooing is surprising for a stiff-tail; heard in tropical American marshes.
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
Masked Duck
Resident from Mexico and the Caribbean south through Central America to northern South America. Found in lowland freshwater marshes and lagoons.
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
Masked Duck
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Masked Duck
Male is rich rufous-chestnut with black mask from forehead to face, boldly spotted black on upperparts; blue bill. Female is streaked buff and brown with two dark facial stripes crossing …
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
Masked Duck
A small stiff-tailed duck (~360 g) of family Anatidae, breeding males with a black mask and chestnut body. Inhabits densely vegetated freshwater marshes and ponds from southern Texas to South America and the Caribbean. Dives for seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Secretive and rarely observed. Least Concern; tolerates a broad range of wetland habitats.
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.