From Opus

Photo by brad73
Location: Marievale, South Africa

Photo by CollinBax
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Photo by Ken Billington
Location: S'Albufera National Park, Mallorca, Spain
Reintrodution program

Fulica cristata

[edit] Identification

Largely dark slaty gray with black head and neck and white facial shield; in breeding plumage, the top of the shield has two small red "balls" or "horns". The juvenile is paler than the adult, has a white breast, and lacks the facial shield; the adult's black plumage develops when about 3-4 months old, but the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa including Madagascar, and disjoint in Morocco and southernmost Spain.

[edit] Taxonomy

A monotypic species.

[edit] Habitat

Freshwater lakes and ponds.

[edit] Behaviour

It builds a nest of dead reeds near the water's edge or afloat, up to 8 eggs are laid.

Its diet includes small live prey including the eggs of other water birds.

[edit] External Links