From Opus

Female
Photo by MikeB
Cuango river valley, northern Angola, April 2004

Nettapus auritus

[edit] Identification

Males - white face, green ear patches, metallic green back
Females are smaller, rather grey, dark eye patches.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa: Eastern South Africa north to Ethiopia and Senegal; also Madagascar.

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Ponds, sluggish rivers and bays with an abundance of floating vegetation (especially Nymphaea waterlilies).

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Nests are built in tree cavities, cliff holes and sometimes in the established nests of Hammerkop storks. 6-12 eggs are laid and incubated for 23 days.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes seeds and other parts or water lilies. A small portion of their diet is aquatic insects and their larvae.

[edit] External Links