African Finfoot
Podica senegalensis
A dark, elongated, duck-like, aquatic bird with neon orange bill and legs. The back and underparts are variably spotted and barred. The throat is gray in the male and white in the female. It swims slow and low in the water with its tail held on the surface. This secretive bird moves in pairs on perennial rivers, swamps, and quiet clear backwaters, foraging under overhanging cover for invertebrates, frogs, and fish. The short, thick neck and bright-colored bill and feet differentiate it from darters and cormorants.
Identification
The African finfoot is an underwater specialist with a long neck, a striking sharp beak, and bright red, lobed feet. The plumage varies by race, generally pale underneath and darker on top. The males are usually darker than the females. It superficially resembles South America's torrent duck.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Podica senegalensis
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1817)
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Heliornithidae
- Genus
- Podica
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The African finfoot's conservation status is hard to determine, given its elusive nature. It is not considered threatened, as it is not persecuted or targeted by hunters, and while scarce, it is very widespread. However, there is concern that it may become threatened, as wetlands are cleared and watercourses altered and polluted. It is also thought to tolerate only minimal disturbance. This and increased habitat fragmentation mean that the species needs to be monitored to safeguard it. There are currently no African finfoots in captivity.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Small, compact antbird with a short tail. Males have black-and-white streaks on the head, mantle, and underparts; brown upperparts; and rusty flanks. Females have a brownish mantle and a streaked head. Found in the understory of humid forests, favoring edges and tree-falls. The song starts with 4-5 clear and increasingly loud notes and finishes with descending harsh notes, similar to Spix’s and Rondonia Warbling-Antbirds. The call, a series of typically four screechy notes, is diagnostic of Manicore Warbling-Antbird, as are the stronger rufous edges to the tail.
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Tiny nomadic honeyeater with thin decurved bill, found across arid inland Australia. Male has completely black upperparts and black hood that extends down the center of the breast to a rough point. Female gray-brown above, with mottled dark marks on pale brown underparts. Often attracted to areas of flowering Eremophila bushes. Call a long, high-pitched whistle, repeated slowly.
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