White-cheeked pintail

White-cheeked pintail
Anas bahamensis galapagensis
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas
Species:
A. bahamensis
Binomial name
Anas bahamensis
Subspecies

The white-cheeked pintail (Anas bahamensis), also known as the Bahama pintail or summer duck, is a species of dabbling duck. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae under its current scientific name.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in the Caribbean, South America, and the Galápagos Islands. It occurs on waters with some salinity, such as brackish lakes, estuaries and mangrove swamps.

There are three subspecies:

  • A. b. bahamensis—lesser Bahama pintail—in the Caribbean, and a vagrant to southern Florida
  • A. b. rubirostris—greater Bahama pintail—in South America; it may be partly migratory, breeding in Argentina and wintering further north.
  • A. b. galapagensis—Galápagos pintail—in the Galápagos Islands

Description

Like many southern ducks, the sexes are similar. It is mainly brown with white cheeks and a red-based grey bill (young birds lack the pink). It cannot be confused with any other duck in its range.

Behaviour

The white-cheeked pintail feeds on aquatic plants (such as Ruppia), grass seeds, algae and small creatures (such as insects and small aquatic invertebrates) obtained by dabbling. The nest is on the ground under vegetation and near water.

Aviculture

It is popular in wildfowl collections, and escapees are frequently seen in a semi-wild condition in Europe. A leucistic (whitish) variant is known in aviculture as the silver Bahama pintail.

Gallery


This page was last updated at 2023-12-25 00:04 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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