DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS   -   ANATIDAE

White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A monotypic species even though it also occurs in Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoros. (S6)

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis North of Catemaco, Veracruz state, Mexico. Notice the single Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor in among them. (S5)

Black-necked Swan Cygnus melancoryphus Chiloe Island, Region X, Chile. The only Cygnus in South America, found only in southern temperate regions. (S5)

Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile. This "swan" is in a monotypic genus and may be more closely related to the whistling-ducks that to typical swans. It is found in similar areas as Black-necked Swan, and are sometimes together on the same lake. (S5)

Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile. A different individual. The black wingtips are usually only visible in flight. (S5)

Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera Laguna de los Pozuelos, Jujuy province, Argentina. The first of the five species of "sheldgeese", the name frequently given to the members of this genus. They are more closely related to the shelducks than to other geese. The Andean Goose is the only one not restricted to Patagonia, and lives around high elevation lakes and bogs as far north as central Peru. (D3)

Upland Goose Chloephaga picta picta Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile. Female on the left, adult male in the center, and juv. male on the right. This is by far the most abundant sheldgoose, greatly outnumbering the next three species. (D3)

Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida hybrida South of Punta Arenas, Region XII, Chile. Male. The female is strikingly different (two photos down). Unlike the other sheldgeese, the Kelp Goose is found only on the coast, and it does eat kelp. (S5)

Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida hybrida South of Punta Arenas, Region XII, Chile. Male. This is a flight shot of the same bird above. (S5)

Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida hybrida South of Punta Arenas, Region XII, Chile. Female. The mate of the male in the previous shots. (D3)

Ashy-headed Goose Chloephaga poliocephala Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile. This striking bird is more common in wet areas near forest, though this pair was on Tierra del Fuego, far from any trees. (D3)

Ruddy-headed Goose Chloephaga rubidiceps Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile. The rarest of the sheldgeese on mainland South America, though still quite abundant on the Falklands. Red legs, rounder head, and narrower flank barring are some features that help distinguish it from the similar female Upland Goose. (D3)

Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola About 15 km south of Iguatu, Ceará state, Brazil. Male. Rare and local in South America. It also occurs widely in the old world tropics. (D3)

Brazilian Teal Amazonetta brasiliensis ipecutiri Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A pair. The male is on the left with a pink bill and white face & neck patch. The female is on the right with the white spots on the face. (D3)

Torrent Duck Merganetta armata berlepschi Rio Los Sosa, Tucumán province, Argentina. There were two pairs of birds here doing what I can only guess was an elaborate courtship ritual. Sometimes they swam together, sometimes they would split off as pairs, but more strangely, sometimes the two maes sat next to each other on one rock, watching the two females who were also together on another nearby rock. It was a fascinating performance and I'd love to know what it was all about. (S5)

Flying Steamer-Duck Tachyeres patachonicus South of Punta Arenas, Region XII, Chile. Male on the left, female on the right. More sexually dimorphic than Flightless Steamer-Duck. The female has a duller bill and a slightly darker head. (S5)

Flightless Steamer-Duck Tachyeres pteneres South of Punta Arenas, Region XII, Chile. The very reduced flight feathers can be seem on the bird on the left. They are called "steamer-ducks" due to their behavior of splashing the water with their wings when alarmed. (S5)

Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides specularioides Punta Delgada, Region XII, Chile. The nominate race is the one found throughout lowlands of Patagonia. (S5)

Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides alticola Lauca National Park, Region I, Chile. This is the subspecies found mainly on high Andean lakes. It averages larger, and has yellowish instead of reddish eyes. (S5)

Spectacled Duck Speculanas specularis North of Punta Arenas, Region XII, Chile. One of South America's rarer ducks, encountered much less often than most other Patagonian species. The sexes usually differ in the size of the white face patch, but there is no obvious difference in this pair. (S5)

Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix Punta Delgada, Region XII, Chile. The male is on the right with the green iridescence behind the eye. A very common freshwater duck in the southern temperate region. (S5)

Yellow-billed Teal Anas flavirostris Lauca National Park, Region I, Chile. Formerly lumped with Andean teal as Speckled Teal. The two species differ strikingly, especially in head color and bill color, and I think the split is well-deserved. (S5)

Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica spinicauda Punta Delgada, Region XII, Chile. In northern South America, this duck is restricted to the cool, high Andes. Farther south it can be found near sea level. (S5)

Silver Teal Anas versicolor versicolor Lagoa de Peixe National Park, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. A rather odd name for this species. I suppose it's rear end might be silvery, but that's about it. (D4)

Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera cyanoptera Punta Delgada, Region XII, Chile. Male on the left, female on the right. One of the most wide-ranging duck species in the Americas. It breeds as far north as southern Canada, whereas this photo was taken near the southern tip of South America. (S5)

Red Shoveler Anas platalea Northern Tierra del Fuelgo, Region XII, Chile. Male on the right, female on the left. What a bill! (D3)

Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Antisana reserve, Napo province, Ecuador. These are just winter residents in South America. The one on the right with the face crescents definitely is a Blue-winged Teal, but how about the other two? The left one seems to be because of the blue speculum, but the center one is tough, it might be an Andean Teal (A. andium). (D3)

Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma erythrophthalma About 15 km south of Iguatu, Ceará state, Brazil. Two females. Quite rare and local in South America; it also occurs over much of Africa. (D3)

Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus Serra da Canatra NP, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A pair with several recently-hatched ducklings. It's the rarest duck in South America. BirdLife International (see factsheet) estimates the population to be 50-249 individuals, most of the them in Brazil. A small population was recently rediscovered in Argentina, and a few might persist in Paraguay. Canastra NP is probably the best place to see it. They can be seen on most days if you know where to look, but can be missed if you get unlucky. (D3)

Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus Serra da Canatra NP, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Male. He was trying to take a nap on that rock, but kept a watchful eye on us while we photographed him. (D2)

Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla Leyda, Region V, Chile. Juvenile male. Bad photo, but it is truly an oddity: the only duck in the world that is an obligate brood parasite. There is some great footage on David Attenborough's Life of Birds showing this behavioe. (D3)

Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Female on the right, male on the left. Quite a scarce duck even though it is widespread. REGUA has become a great place to see them in the last few years. (D3)

Ruddy (Andean) Duck Oxyura jamaicensis ferruginea Torres del Paine NP, Region XII, Chile. Male. Andean Duck has been lumped in with the Ruddy Duck of North America, probably the right move considering they are almost identical. Also, as this shot demostrates, they do occur down to sea level in far southern South America. (D3)