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Bronze-winged Duck
Speculanas specularis

DESCRIPTION:
Bronze-winged Duck
Pato de Anteojos
Anas specularis
Length: 572mm. Sexes alike. Bill dark bluish grey; iris dark brown; head dark brown, hind neck earth-brown; shows a large white spot between the bill and the eye; chin, lower part of throat, foreneck and sides of neck white; upper back blackish brown with feathers profusely tipped buffy brown; scapulars blackish; lower back blackish, rump and uppertail coverts earth-brown; tail dark brown; wing coverts and primaries blackish, secondaries bright purple with green and bronze sheen with subterminal black band and white terminal band, forming a conspicuous speculum; lesser underwing coverts black, greater blackish brown, axillaries white; upper breast buffy cinnamon, remainder of breast and upper part of belly cinnamon buff with chestnut barring; lower belly and under tail coverts earth-brown; flanks earth-brown with lower half of feathers blackish; legs orange yellow and black web.
Female: similar to male but slightly smaller, and the highlights on speculum have less bronze. Juvenile: duller colours overall and white spots on face and neck are small.
Habitat and behaviour: easily recognised by its diagnostic white spot before the eyes and conspicuous speculum; found in pairs or small groups; breeds in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams of the Patagonian Andean region, preferably in forested areas.
During the day it remains hidden under the shade of trees by wooded lakes or along rivers and at dusk it becomes active and flies to its feeding grounds; in flight, the female utters a cry that resembles a dog bark, while the male emits a high-pitched raspy whistle at the same time.
The Bronzed-winged Duck often flies low; nocturnal, at this time it can be heard with its typical vocalisation thus giving themselves away; when a heavy storm is approaching they also become active at daytime.
This species feeds in grassy marshes, streams and margins of ponds, also foraging in flooded harvested wheat fields; leaves and seeds form the bulk of its diet, as well as aquatic insects, their larvae and molluscs. It prefers clean cold waters to rest.
Nests are built near the water; the nest, placed on the ground hidden among vegetation, is lined with grass at the bottom and covered with its own down; up to nine creamy- white eggs are laid. Range: its distribution encompasses the subantarctic forests and nearby areas from Neuquén down to Tierra del Fuego, also occurs in Mendoza; in winter it disperses to San Luis, Córdoba and Buenos Aires. In Chile it is found from Magallanes to Talca and even further north; in winter it reaches Aconcagua.
Illustrated Handbook of the Birds of Patagonia
Kindless: Kovacs Family
 
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Photographs: Mariano Diez Peña


Birding Patagonia • Birdwatcing in Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.
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Photographs on the website: Mariano Diez Peña