From Opus

Photo by leon
Location: Marievale (near Johannesburg), South Africa

Anas hottentota

[edit] Identification

Length 33-36 cm, mass 186-305 g.

The sexes are similar, but the female is much lighter on her underside. Both have blue-grey feet, black head, brown spotted breast, some green on their wings and a blue bill.

[edit] Distribution

Eastern and Southern Africa and Madagascar.

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Well-vegetated ponds and lakes, freshwater marshes, inland waters and flood plains.

[edit] Behaviour

Diet includes insects, crustaceans, seeds and vegetation.

[edit] Breeding

A nest is built in over water in a dense clump of emergent vegetation (usually bulrushes, reeds or sedges); 6-8 cream eggs are laid and incubated for 25-27 days by the female.

[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