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Ecology and Behaviour of Steamer Ducks1

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Ecology and Behaviour of Steamer Ducks1 Ecology and behaviour of steamer ducks1 MILTON W. WELLER Introduction similarities of downy young, wing speculum, Steamer ducks (genus Tachyeres) are the aggressive behaviour, wing spurs and perma­ largest and probably the most specialized nent pair bonds. Johnsgard (1965) shifted the diving ducks of the world, forming a Southern steamer ducks to a separate tribe, Tachyerini, Hemisphere ecological equivalent of northern on the basis of supporting work and eiders (especially the genus Somateria). recommendations by Boetticher (1952) and Steamer ducks are dominantly slate-grey in Moynihan (1958). This taxonomic arrange­ colour with white wing specula, prominent ment is a convenience, but the systematic orange wing spurs and bills that differ in position of steamer ducks in relation to other colour by species and sex. Ruggedly-built, tribes remains uncertain. they are well adapted to open waters o f the In spite of excellent summaries of general Magellanic coastline or large, windswept morphological features by previously cited lakes of Patagonia. The massive bill with authors, considerable confusion remains over reduced lamellae and heavy nail is well identification, and range maps reflect this un­ designed for grabbing and crushing large in­ certainty. Remarkably little has been vertebrates taken on bottom substrates. published on the behaviour and ecology of Few groups of ducks have stimulated more this group. Observations reported here are published controversy over their classifica­ not the result o f an intensive study of the three tion. Originally described as two species, one forms, but are derived from studies of the flying and one flightless, they were so similar waterfowl faunas of the Falkland Islands that some workers believed that only one (Weller 1972) and Tierra del Fuego (Weller species existed and that young birds could fly, 1975a). These observations were made during whereas older, heavier birds were flightless research funded by NSF Grant GV-21491 to (Cunningham 1871). Numerous papers Iowa State University and completed under documented the existence of two species: Ab­ NSF Grant OPP 76-20058 to the University of bott 1861; Oustalet 1891; Blaauw 1916; and Minnesota. I am indebted to Maurice Rum- others. The most conclusive data were boll, Robert Howard and Doris Weller who presented by Percy Reynolds of Estancia assisted materially in some phase of the Viamonte in Tierra del Fuego (in Lowe 1934) project, and to many landowners and govern­ who also pointed out that Falkland Island and ment officials in the Falkland Islands and Magellanic flightless forms might be sub- Tierra del Fuego. specifically different. Murphy’s (1936) thorough analysis resulted in acceptance of Observation sites and methods those conclusions on the two species and the Both Falkland Flightless Steamer Ducks and addition o f a third full species, the Falkland Flying Steamer Ducks were observed at Island form. This classification has been several areas of the East and West Falkland accepted to-date: Islands; Flying Steamer Ducks and the Flying Steamer Duck Tachyeres Magellanic Flightless Steamer Ducks were patachonicus (King) 1828. observed at Estancia Harberton, Isla Grande, Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and the Tierra del Fuego; and Flying Steamer Ducks Falkland Islands. also were observed in the lakes and along the Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck T. coast of eastern Isla Grande near Estancia brachypterus (Latham) 1790. Viamonte where Reynolds (in Lowe 1934) Falkland Islands. made his original observations. My obser­ Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck T. vations were in midsummer during the major pteneres (Forster) 1844. hatching and brood-rearing period. Only Coastal Chile and Tierra del Fuego. three nests of the flightless forms were found; two in the Falkland Islands and one in Tierra Whereas steamer ducks earlier had been del Fuego. Steamer duck broods were considered relatives of northern diving ducks, recorded on maps by habitat type (e.g. type of Delacour and Mayr (1945) placed them with wetland or coastal features) in relation to ac­ sheld-geese in the tribe Tadornini because of tivities such as feeding or loafing, so that 1 Journal Paper No. J- 8237 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 1969. 45 Wildfowl 27 (1976): 45-53 46 Milton W. Weller relative uses of various habitats by broods were quantitated. Behavioural observations were facilitated by the fact that steamer ducks are not hunted in either area, and flightless forms are relative­ ly unwary and easily observed. Flying Steamer Ducks are more secretive, especially with broods, but this may be a product of their habitat selection and their relatively greater ease of movement. Whenever possible, obser­ vations and photographs were made of aggressive and parental behaviour, and vocalizations were recorded. Distribution and identifying features (Figure 1 and Table 1) The Flying Steamer Duck ranges from about Concepcion, Chile (Johnson 1965) and the Valdez Peninsula (Jehl, Rumboll and Winter 1973) and Punto Tombo. (Boswall and Prytherch 1972) areas of Argentina southward through Patagonia, Tierra del MAGELLANIC FALKLAND Fuego and the Falkland Islands without FLIGHTLESS FLIGHTLESS reported variation. The two flightless steamer ducks differ both in size and colouration: The Figure 1. Distribution of steamer ducks and the Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck occurs head patterns of the downy young. The Flying along all the west coast of Chile from Chiloe Steamer Duck is widespread on inland lakes and Island south to Cape Horn and Staten Island certain coastal waters throughout the Magellanic (Johnson 1965), but it is absent from the east Region and the Falkland Islands. The Magellanic coast of Tierra del Fuego (Reynolds in Lowe Flightless Steamer Duck is found mainly on 1934). Olrog (1968) indicated that it occurs southern and western coasts of Patagonia, whereas on the east coast of Patagonia in winter, but the Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck is restricted this needs documentation. to those islands. Table 1. Some characteristic of adult steamer ducks helpful in their identification in the field. All have black nails and light eyerings. Flying S.D. F.I. Flightless S.D. Magellanic Flightless S.D. Maxilla ef Yellow-orange base grading Orange base grading into Completely orange bill, abruptly to olive-grey side lighter flesh colored tip. sometimes darker at base. at level of the nostrils. 9 Olive-grey with light Olive-grey with yellow base Uniformly orange bill. yellowish base and. and culmen. culmen. Head o' Whitish; younger males Whitish: younger males with Uniform grey; whitish with greyish or brownish greyish or brownish face; crown in older males. face; white eyestripe. white eyestripe. 9 Reddish brown face with Reddish brown face with Uniform grey; eyeline grey crown and white grey crown and white sometimes apparent. eyestripe curving down eyestripe. behind eye Neck and body o' & 9 Neck grey contrasting with Neck grey contrasting with Neck light grey with body darker grey-brown body. darker grey-brown body. slightly darker grey; body Grey feathers edged with Grey feathers edged with feathers light grey, edged reddish brown. reddish brown. with dark grey. Steamer ducks 47 Adults differ in bill, head and body coloura­ Downy young Flying Steamer Ducks tion (Table 1), but also in general body form: (Figure 1) have a white supraorbital line like Flying Steamer Ducks are- not only smaller that of the Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck, but also less massive in configuration but it tends to be more interrupted behind the (especially neck, head and bill) and have a eye, and the forehead, supraorbital area and rounded back profile resulting from the chest are darker grey. Magellanic Flightless proportionately larger wings. Preflight flap­ Steamer Ducks lack a continuous line but ping is common in the flying species, whereas have one small supraorbital and two large I have not noticed it in flightless forms. The white post-orbital spots. Young with two white wing speculum of the Flying Steamer spots are illustrated in Lowe (1934), Murphy Duck is said to be longer and more con­ (1936) and Delacour (1954), but P. Scott cor­ spicuous (Murphy 1936). rectly illustrated the three spots in Delacour Although there is sexual dimorphism in (1964). There is an excellent photograph of both body size (Table 2) and voice as dis­ the first captive-reared Magellanic Flightless cussed later, sexual dichromatism is reduced Steamer Ducks in Griswold (1968). Lowe in comparison with that o f most northern (1934) pointed out that the nail on the bill of Anatinae. The Magellanic Flightless Steamer downy Flying Steamer Ducks is horn Duck has almost no dichromatism, and coloured while that of Magellanic Flightless adults are slate grey with slightly lighter necks Steamer Ducks is black, but this difference is and head. In Flying Steamer Ducks and only obvious in very young specimens and Falkland Flightless Steamer Ducks, mature may not be constant. The nail also is smaller males are white-headed, whereas heads of in Flying Steamer Ducks. females are vinous-brown. Thus, there is little Data available on weights of adults are chance of confusing adults of the two shown in Table 2. Because of the variation in flightless forms should they ever be found presentation of data by different authors, only sympatically, or adult Magellanic Flightless estimated means can be calculated; these Steamer Ducks and Flying Steamer Ducks. range from 2441 g (5.4 1b) to 6039 g (13-3 1b). Flying Steamer Ducks and Falkland The flying form is smallest, the Falkland Flightless Steamer Ducks can be difficult to Flightless Steamer duck is intermediate, and distinguish. Confusion is even greater in the Magellanic flightless form is the largest. yearlings where head colour even of males is Weights of females of the larger species female-like and bill colour also is more overlap with the weights of males of smaller similar. Field identification then must be species (Figure 2), but if the sex is known, based on bill shape and colour and on body dimorphism in weights is so great within form.
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