Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus)

The Brazilian Merganser is one of the duller members of its genus. It has a shiny dark green hood with a long crest, dark grey upperparts, a white wing speculum, a pale grey breast and bright orange-red legs. In flight the white on the wings is very noticeable.
These three birds are presumably a pair with a juvenile whose territory was on the Rio So Francisco just downstream from the Casca d'Anta waterfall. Each pair seems to require several kilometres of river as territory so one wonders how the offspring manage to find new territories given the scarcity of habitat.