Hartlaub's Duck
Pteronetta hartlaubii
A large, dark chestnut-colored duck found primarily in sheltered fresh and brackish waters in well-wooded areas. In flight, distinctive bright blue upperwings stand out even along shaded creeks and streams. Widespread in the Afrotropical lowlands, but easy to overlook given its habits and habitat. Primary calls consist of hollow “ko-ko-ko” quacking and occasional wheezy whistles.
Identification
Hartlaub's duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii) is a dark chestnut-coloured duck of African forests. Formerly included in the paraphyletic "perching duck" assemblage, it was later moved to the dabbling duck assemblage. However, it is distinct from the "typical" dabbling ducks, and is placed in the monotypic genus Pteronetta. It is named after the German naturalist Gustav Hartlaub.
Taxonomy
Genus: Pteronetta; Family: Anatidae; Order: Anseriformes.
- Scientific name
- Pteronetta hartlaubii
- Authority
- (Cassin, 1860)
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Pteronetta
Range and habitat
Hartlaub's duck is resident in equatorial West and Central Africa, from Guinea and Sierra Leone east through Nigeria to South Sudan, and south to Gabon, Congo and Zaire.<p>This bird is named after the German naturalist Gustav Hartlaub.<p>Hartlaub’s ducks reside in swampy marshes, tropical forests, savanna areas, rivers, and streams. In Liberia, they live in mangroves. However, they will only gather in flocks in Liberia from January to May. Year-round, they will live in parts of central western Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds

Yellow-billed Grosbeak
Eophona migratoria
Medium-sized songbird of woodlands, neighborhoods, and parks. Male grayish brown with black head and wings, faintly orange flanks, and a dark-tipped yellow bill. Female similar but lacks the black head, has much paler orange on the flanks, and is an overall brownish tone. Male similar to Japanese Grosbeak, which has less black on the head, no orange on the flanks, and lacks the dark tip to the bill of most adult male Yellow-billed Grosbeaks. Often detected as it gives a hard "jik!" while flying overhead.

Magpie Goose
Anseranas semipalmata
Large black-and-white waterbird with bulbous lump on the top of its head and striking orange legs and feet. Often seen in very large, noisy flocks. Typically found in and around wetlands, pastures, and orchards across northern Australia. Also perches in trees and on branches. Soft honking calls given frequently, including in flight.

Bates's Sunbird
Cinnyris batesi
A very small nondescript sunbird with a short orange-based bill that curves uniformly along its length; easily mistaken for females of other sunbirds. The only features on the olive upperparts are indistinct paler eyebrows and lines running under the eyes, and yellow edging to the wings. Although often hidden, the male has yellow or whitish (not red) tufts at the shoulders. Singles are local and inconspicuous at the edges of lowland and riverine forest, sometimes entering secondary growth; it joins mixed-flocks and is frequently attracted to epiphytes in mossy clumps. Calls a high-pitched “tseeep” and trills. Little Green and Fraser’s sunbirds are similar to Bates’s but brighter, with straighter bills and more distinct yellowish eye-rings; Ursula’s Sunbird has a long decurved bill and grayish face and underparts.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.