From Opus

Photo by Jugal Tiwari
Kutch, Gujarat, India , August, 2008

Sarkidiornis melanotos

[edit] Identification

• Glossy blue black upperparts
• White underparts
• Blue and green iridescent secondaries
• White head with dark spots
• White neck
  

Young Male, subspecies sylvicola
Photo by Dave B Smith
Trinidad, July 2010

Male - larger with large black knob on the bill
Juvenile

• Dull buff underparts, face and neck
• Dull brown upperparts, crown and eyestripe

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, south Asia, Pakistan, Laos and extreme southern China.

Also eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil, northeast of Argentina.

Has been reported as a vagrant on Trinidad.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

Photo by Rakesh
Pashan Pune, India, March 2007

Sarkidiornis melanotos has two subspecies:^[1]

• S. m. melanotos

• Tropical Africa, Madagascar and Pakistan to southern China

• S. m. sylvicola

• Tropical South America (east of the Andes)

The species is sometimes split with sylvicola as Comb Duck and melanotos as Knob-billed Duck.

[edit] Habitat

Wetlands, freshwater swamps and lakes.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes small fish, invertebrates, and seeds.

[edit] Breeding

They nest in tree holes and tall grass. The nest is lined with reeds, grass, or feathers. 7-15 yellowish-white eggs are laid; incubated by the female for about 30 days.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533

• List of references

[edit] External Links