Buffalo head duck
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Buffalo head duck ( Bucephala albeola ), male |
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| Bucephala albeola | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The buffalo head duck ( Bucephala albeola ) is a species of bird from the family of ducks (Anatidae) and belongs to the subfamily of the Anatinae . The buffalo head, closely related to the golden bell, occurs exclusively in North America. It has a lot in common with the golden-bellied duck in terms of physique and behavior. But it is considerably smaller than this and is roughly the size of a teal .
distribution and habitat
The range of the buffalo head duck is the north of the North American continent. In summer, during the breeding season, the species is more northern and exclusively inland. During this period it occurs in central Alaska, in the Northwest Territories, as well as in the Yukon and up to northern Quebec. Aside from Alaska, it only breeds in the western extreme north of some US states. In winter, it is found along the entire coast of the United States, western Canada and southern Alaska and only in the southern interior of the United States and Mexico. Inland, shallow lakes and ponds in the immediate vicinity of larger forests are preferred. The decisive factor for colonization by buffalo ducks is not just the presence of small, vegetation-free bodies of water with shallow banks. You also need a mixed forest near the body of water. The open tundra, on the other hand, is avoided by this species of duck. Winter is spent on large lakes that are as ice-free as possible, in the area of estuaries and off the coasts.
Appearance
The physique of the buffalo head is strongly reminiscent of that of diving ducks . With a body length of 33 to 40 cm and a weight of 330 to 450 g, the species is one of the smallest representatives of the sea ducks and sawyers and one of the smallest ducks at all. The males, which appear somewhat stronger than the females, have iridescent black plumage on the back and white plumage on the flanks as well as on the belly and rump. The forehead, the area in front of the eyes and the neck are iridescent black feathered like the back, the feathers can shine purple or green depending on the incidence of light. The back of the head and the sides of the head are feathered in white. The beak is light gray with a black tip, the iris is dark brown. The females are more inconspicuous than the males feathered. They are characterized by a rather brown-gray feathered back, gray feathered flanks and rump and a washed-out white feathered chest and stomach area. The head of the females is colored brown, on the head side there is a white spot beginning below the eye. The iris and beak resemble those of the male, but the beak often appears a bit darker gray. Young birds are similar to adult females, but are generally more brown feathered and show a much smaller white spot on the sides of the head. The legs of the buffalo head are colored orange-pink and do not start quite as far in the rear third of the body as in the relatives of the genus Bucephala . The short tail feathers, which can be fanned out wide, are used for control during diving.
Breeding behavior
The breeding season begins in April and May, the buffalo head ducks, which breed in pairs, lay 5 to 12 eggs in a breeding cave, often an abandoned woodpecker cave near a body of water. After a breeding period of 29 to 31 days, the young birds hatch with brown on the top and white down on the underside. They fledge after 50 to 55 days.
food
The diet of the buffalo head ducks consists primarily of invertebrates that are captured by diving and living in aquatic environments, and small fish are seldom ingested. Part of the energy requirement is covered by the consumption of plant-based foods, especially seeds.
swell
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliot, Jordi Sargatal : Handbook of the birds of the world. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 1992, ISBN 84-87334-10-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gooders and Boyer, p. 138.
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Bucephala albeola in the Internet Bird Collection
- Bucephala albeola onthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2014.