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Mallard Complex
The Mallard complex refers to closely linked members of the Anas genus found around the world thought to all be descended from one common ancestor. Species in the mallard complex are known for frequent hybridization amongst other members of the complex. The species within the complex can be very difficult to distinguish genetically, likely due to either hybridization, the retention of ancestral genetic variation or both. The phenotypes of mallard complex ducks, particularly the "mallardine" species can be difficult to distinguish due to hybridization, backcrossing and the possible retention of ancestral genetic variation giving species a trait they would not usually have. The American black duck (''Anas rubripes''), for instance may have double white bars above and below the speculum due to either the retention of ancestral genetic material or due to gene flow from the Mallard (''Anas platyrhynchos''). Among North American members of the complex, using genetic data sets (with ove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Spot-billed Duck
The Indian spot-billed duck (''Anas poecilorhyncha'') is a species of large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is found in the mainland Indian population. When in water it can be recognized from a long distance by the white tertials that form a stripe on the side, and in flight it is distinguished by the green speculum with a broad white band at the base. This species and the eastern spot-billed duck (''A. zonorhyncha'') were formerly considered conspecific, together called the spot-billed duck (''A. poecilorhyncha''). Taxonomy The Indian spot-billed duck was described by the naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster in 1781 under its current binomial name ''Anas poecilorhyncha''. The name of the genus ''Anas'' is the Latin word for a duck. The specific epithet ''poecilorhyncha'' combines the classical Greek words ''poikilos'' meaning "pied" or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yellow-billed Duck
The yellow-billed duck (''Anas undulata'') is a 51–58 cm long dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa. This duck is not migratory, but wanders in the dry season to find suitable waters. It is highly gregarious outside the breeding season and forms large flocks. Description These are mallard-sized mainly grey ducks with a darker head and bright yellow bill. The wings are whitish below, and from above show a white-bordered green speculum. Sexes are similar, and juveniles are slightly duller than adults. The north-eastern race is darker and has a brighter bill and blue speculum. It is a bird of freshwater habitats in fairly open country and feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night. It nests on the ground in dense vegetation near water. Rarely, it is found in suburban areas, in close proximity to golf courses, parks and lakes or dams. The clutch numbers between six and twelve eggs. The male has a teal- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meller's Duck
Meller's duck (''Anas melleri'') is a species of the dabbling duck genus ''Anas''. It is endemic to eastern Madagascar. Although a population was established on Mauritius in the mid-18th century, this is on the verge of extinction due to habitat loss and competition by feral domestic ducks. The species name of this species is after the botanist Charles James Meller, and its generic name is from the Latin for "duck". Description The Meller's duck resembles a large female mallard. At , it averages slightly larger than a mallard and is at the top size for the genus ''Anas''. . arkive.org However, as opposed to most mallard relatives, they lack a . The |
Pacific Black Duck
The Pacific black duck (''Anas superciliosa''), commonly known as the PBD, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the grey duck in New Zealand, where it is also known by its Māori name, . Taxonomy The Pacific black duck was Species description, formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other ducks, geese and swans in the genus ''Anas'' and coined the binomial nomenclature, binomial name ''Anas superciliosa''. Gmelin based his description on the "Supercilious duck" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham (ornithologist), John Latham in his ''A General Synopsis of Birds''. The naturalist Joseph Banks had provided Latham with a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hawaiian Duck
The Hawaiian duck (''Anas wyvilliana'') or koloa is a species of bird in the family Anatidae that is endemic to the large islands of Hawaii. Taxonomically, the koloa is closely allied with the mallard (''A. platyrhynchos''). It differs in that it is monomorphic (with similarly marked males and females) and non-migratory. As with many duck species in the genus ''Anas'', Hawaiian duck and mallards can interbreed and produce viable offspring, and the koloa has previously been considered an island subspecies of the mallard (''Anas platyrhynchos''). However, all major authorities now consider this form to be a distinct species within the mallard complex. Recent analyses indicate that this is a distinct species that arose through ancient hybridization between mallard and the Laysan duck (''Anas laysanensis''). The native Hawaiian name for this duck is ''koloa maoli'' (meaning "native duck"), or simply koloa. This species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Speci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laysan Duck
The Laysan duck (''Anas laysanensis''), also known as the Laysan teal, is a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on Laysan Island and two atolls. The duck has several physical and behavioral traits linked to the absence of ground-based predators in its habitat. By 1860, the ducks had disappeared from everywhere except Laysan Island. The introduction of European rabbits by guano miners at the end of the 19th century brought the bird to the brink of extinction in 1912, with twelve surviving individuals. Rabbits were eradicated from the island in 1923 and numbers of Laysan ducks began to rise, reaching 500 by the 1950s. In an effort to ensure the long-term future of this duck, 42 birds were translocated to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 2002. These thrived in their new surroundings, and another group were later relocated to Kure Atoll. Taxonomy Named ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philippine Duck
The Philippine duck (''Anas luzonica'') is a large dabbling duck of the genus ''Anas''. Its native name is ''papan'' or ''patong gubat'' which translates to "forest duck" in Filipinos. It is the only endemic duck in the Philippines but has been recorded as a vagrant in Taiwan and Japan. Its habitat in a wide variety of wetlands from mountain lakes, marshes, small pools, streams, rivers, salt pans and even coastal waters where it feeds on shrimp, fish, insects and plant matter. This species has declined considerably since the 1960s because of hunting and habitat loss and is now listed as a Vulnerable species. Description The Philippine duck is a large conspicuous duck. It has a black crown, nape and eye stripe, with a cinnamon head and neck. The rest of its body is greyish brown with a bright green speculum. Its legs are greyish brown, and its bill is bluish-grey. The female is somewhat smaller than the male, but is otherwise the same. Taxonomy The Philippine duck is a dabbli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anas
''Anas'' is a genus of dabbling ducks. It includes the pintails, most teals, and the mallard and its close relatives. It formerly included additional species but following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study in 2009 the genus was split into four separate genera. The genus now contains 31 living species. The name ''Anas'' is the Latin for "duck". Systematics The genus ''Anas'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. ''Anas'' is the Latin word for a duck. The genus formerly included additional species. In 2009 a large molecular phylogenetic study was published that compared mitochondrial DNA sequences from ducks, geese and swans in the family Anatidae. The results confirmed some of the conclusions of earlier smaller studies and indicated that the genus as then defined was non-monophyletic. Based on the results of this study, ''Anas'' was split into four proposed monophyletic genera with five sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
