Flightless Steamer-Duck
Tachyeres pteneres
A large heavily built duck that is uncommon to fairly common along rocky seacoasts; not found on lakes, unlike Flying Steamer-Duck. Both sexes are steely blue-gray overall, brighter than Flying Steamer-Duck, with a stouter and deeper-based bill. The bill of both male and female is bright orange in the southern parts of its range, but is orange with a greenish distal patch around Chiloé Island (likely a different species). The bill of juvenile birds is duller grayish to dull yellowish; attains adult color by winter.
Identification
This is the largest of the steamer duck species. It is a massively built waterfowl at 3.5–7 kg (7.7–15.4 lb) and 65–84 cm (26–33 in) in length, with the males noticeably larger than the females. Males weigh an average of 5.34 kg (11.8 lb) while females weigh around 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) on average. The wingspan is 85–110 cm (33–43 in), the wings being too small to functionally allow the birds to take flight. Instead, the wings are used like paddles to help skim rapidly across the surface of the water. This species outweighs any other wild species called "duck" and is about the same mass as the largest wild geese in the world, although this species is only distantly related to most true ducks (for example of the genus Anas). On males, the head and neck is blue-gray, with paler coloration crown and forehead. He has a narrow white eye-ring which continuing backwards as stripe and a reddish-brown throat. His abdomen, ventral area and undertail coverts are white and the tail is grey. Females are a darker gray-brown on the head and dark reddish on the throat. Her body and wings as males, but she may have brown/wine colouring on feathers. The juvenile is similar to the female but slightly duller colored.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Tachyeres pteneres
- Authority
- (Forster, JR, 1844)
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Tachyeres
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-capped Tanager
Stilpnia heinei
Small, active tanager with notably different male and female plumages. Male is steely blue overall with slightly darker wings. Look for sea-green throat and cheek, streaked upper breast, and contrasting black cap and nape. Female is mostly lime green with pale bluish head and breast; she has just a ghosting of the male’s black cap. Usually found in pairs, often following a mixed-species flock in the canopy. An Andean species, found in subtropical forest, edges, and gardens. Visits fruit feeders.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Slender, long-winged gull, slightly smaller than Herring Gull. Adults show dark gray back and yellow legs; in winter note fairly heavy streaking on head and neck. Takes four or five years to reach adult plumage; immatures can be difficult to distinguish from other gulls, especially Herring. On first- or second-year birds, look for contrastingly whitish head with dark smudge around the eye, long wings, dark bill, whitish rump and tail base, and evenly dark wings in flight. Can be found around any body of water but prefers beaches and flats. Often with flocks of other large gulls. Common in Eurasia, wintering to Africa and Southeast Asia. Population in North America has increased dramatically in the last couple decades; now regular (even fairly common!) on the Atlantic coast, rarer inland and farther west.
Capped White-eye
Zosterops fuscicapilla
A small bird of montane forest and edge. Olive green above, blending to yellow on the belly and under the base of the tail. Note the black face and crown, and prominent white eye-ring. Often found in large flocks. All the other white-eyes on New Guinea have whitish underparts. Song, an arhythmic series of notes not varying much in pitch.
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