From Opus

Photo by Doug Newman
Elandsvlei, South Africa, March 2005

Thalassornis leuconotus

[edit] Identification

• Rufous and dark brown barring
• White spot at base of black bill
• White back is visible only in flight

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Swaziland,
African Islands: Madagascar

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

There are two subspecies:

• T. l. leuconotus

• Locally in Sub-Saharan Africa

• T. l. insularis

• Locally in aquatic lowlands of Madagascar

[edit] Habitat

Lakes, ponds, wetlands and marshes.

[edit] Behaviour

A diving duck.

[edit] Diet

The diet consists mostly of water lily bulbs and also seeds of aquatic plants.

[edit] Breeding

Both sexes build the nest which is located in water grass, reeds or rushes. the vegetation is bent over to form a bowl of plant material drawn in from around the site and padded with green aquatic grass. The clutch consists of 4-9 eggs (1 laid per day). Both adults incubate the eggs for 29-33 days before they hatch. The female incubates at night and for a short time during the day; the male being responsible for the rest of the time. The change-over is preceded by calls, the duck usually approaching under the water.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. Biodiversity explorer
4. Wiki

• List of references

[edit] External Links