Yellow-billed Duck

The bright yellow bill, marked with a black central stripe, is the field mark that names the Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata) and separates it at a glance from other African dabbling ducks. The body is brown with pale-edged, scaly-looking feathering, the head browner with a paler face and throat, and the speculum iridescent green and black with white borders; sexes are alike. Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes and dams across eastern and southern Africa hold the species, from Ethiopia and Uganda south to the Cape, and it tolerates agricultural impoundments and urban wetlands readily. Birds are largely sedentary and often gather in groups near reed beds. Clutches hold four to twelve eggs. The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern.