Birds of the World II: Flamingos Through New World Quail
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Birds of the World II: Flamingos through New World Quail Order Phoenicopteriformes, Flamingos Family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, Swans (41/147) Contains a single family (Phoenicopteridae). See the family account for distribution and characteristics. Family Phoenicopteridae, Flamingos (3/5) Distribution.— Worldwide except the polar regions. Characteristics.— Bill usually spatulate with nail at tip (except Mergansers, see below); bill lamellate or serrate (mergansers); legs short, feet palmate; wings short and narrow; neck usually fairly Distribution.— Southern Europe, Africa, Madagascar, India, long. Sexes alike or unalike. Caribbean, and southern South America. Habitat.— Varies; usually near water. Characteristics.— Long neck and long, thin legs; palmate feet; Habits.— Most gregarious and migratory. Fly and swim strongly. bill flattened and abruptly downturned at midpoint; upper man- Foraging behavior and diet varies. Eat aquatic animals and aquatic dible mobile, lower mandible almost rigid; tongue large, thick, and and terrestrial plants. lamellate; wings long; tail short; plumage white to pink, flight Breeding.— Nesting behavior varies; nest on ground or in tree; feathers black. Sexes similar. some nest in cavities. Nest often lined with the female’s breast Habitat.— Fresh, brackish, and salt water habitats: shallow feathers. Eggs 2–16, pale to white and unspotted. Incubation by the lagoons, alkaline lakes, and estuaries. male, female, or both. Young nidifugous, downy; reared by male, Habits.— Highly gregarious; flocks fly in irregular lines or V’s. Fly female, or both. At least two species are interspecific brood para- strongly with neck and legs extended. Feed in shallow water with sites. head immersed and bill inverted near the water’s surface. The tongue acts as a piston, drawing water and silt into the mouth, then Subfamily Anserinae, Geese and Swans (6/24) forcing it out across the lamella of the bill, expelling the water and Distribution.— Worldwide, but found primarily in northern filtering out the food. Can swim well and will sometimes feed by regions of the northern Hemisphere (but many species winter to “tipping up” like a duck, filtering food from silt at the bottom. Eat the south of their breeding ranges). plankton, mollusks, crustaceans, algae, and protozoa. Characteristics.— Generally large in size, although some Breeding.— Nest a cone of mud on ground. Egg 1 (sometimes 2), species may be small. Neck long; bill somewhat compressed later- chalky blue. Both sexes incubate (28– 40 days) and care for nidifu- ally. No speculum present; no metallic colors in plumage; wing tips gous, downy young. Adults feed young esophageal fluid (Flamingo often dark. Tarsi reticulate. Sexes similar. “milk”) for 2 months, then by regurgitation. Offspring can swim Habitat.— Various; usually associated with water. Most breed on and run after 3–4 days and feed themselves after 3 weeks. tundra in far north; winter to the south, frequently on coastal Fledglings form large feeding flocks. waters. Habits.— Do not dive. Walk well on land. Most undergo long Order Anseriformes, Waterfowl migrations. Most are semi-aquatic; all swim well; most fly strongly. All have Breeding.— Form lifelong pair bond, usually pairing up on the feathered oil gland, rounded, open nostrils, down feathers on the wintering grounds. Have simple courtship displays. Both sexes care apteria, lack a brood patch, and share other anatomical similarities. for young. Eggs are unmarked. Young are downy and nidifugous. Distributed Illinois species: nearly worldwide but usually associated with water. Two families, [ ] Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) one presented here. Occasional migrant, rare winter resident Birds of the World II 9 Anatidae, Anserinae [ ] Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) Common migrant, Characteristics.— Bound directly from water’s surface when uncommon winter resident taking flight; legs located farther forward on body than in the div- ing ducks (genera Aythya, Mergus, Lophodytes, and Oxyura); sec- [ ] Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Common migrant ondaries with metallic speculum; hallux not lobed; bill spatulate. and summer resident, abundant winter resident / Breeds Sexes dimorphic. [M15] Habitat.— Most breed on fresh water; many are marine in winter. Habits.— Forage in shallow water, dabbling at surface or collect- [ ] Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Uncommon resident (intro- ing food from the bottom by “tipping up” (extending neck and duced) / Breeds [M16] body vertically downward so only the tail shows above water). Eat mostly vegetation. Can walk easily on land. [ ] Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) Occasional Breeding.— Form seasonal pair bonds. Nest mostly on the migrant, rare winter resident ground. Female incubates and rears young. Illinois species: Subfamily Dendrocygninae, Whistling-ducks (2/9) [ ] Gadwall (Anas strepera) Common migrant, uncommon winter resident [ ] American Wigeon (Anas americana) Common migrant, occasional winter resident [ ] American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) Fairly common migrant and winter resident [ ] Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Abundant migrant, com- mon winter and summer resident / Breeds [M17] Distribution.— Whistling-ducks are found in warm-temperate [ ] Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) Common migrant, rare and tropical regions worldwide. winter resident, fairly common summer resident (N) / Characteristics.— Somewhat goose-like but smaller and with Breeds [M18] an upright posture. Neck long and legs very long (feet project beyond the tip of the tail when in flight). Shrill whistling call given [ ] Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Common migrant, in flight. Sexes similar. rare winter and summer resident / Breeds [M19] Habitat.— Wetlands, marshes, ponds. Habits.— Gregarious. Mostly nocturnal foragers. Walk well on [ ] Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Common migrant, land and perch in trees occasionally. Some species dabble while uncommon winter resident foraging, others dive, and dives, wades, and dabbles. Breeding.— Form lasting pair bonds. Both sexes incubate the [ ] Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) Common migrant, eggs. Males may participate in care of young. uncommon winter resident (S) Subfamily Anatinae, Ducks (32/113) Distribution.— Worldwide. Often grouped into eight tribes Genus Aix, Perching Ducks (five of which occur in Illinois: Anatini, Aythyini, Cairini, Mergini, Distribution.— North America and Eastern Asia (the tribe and Oxyurini), but we will learn the major Illinois genera and not Cairini in which this genus is sometime placed is distributed the tribes. worldwide). Characteristics.— Molt twice yearly (eclipse and alternate Characteristics.— Legs located farther forward on the body plumages); tarsi scutellate. Sexes mostly unalike. than in the dabbling ducks. Claws long and sharp; hind toe well Habitat.— Variable; usually near water; one tribe in forested developed, not lobed; males of some species strikingly colored. habitats. Sexes dimorphic. Habits.— Foraging behavior and diet varies, as do physiological Habitat.— Essentially forest ducks; breed inland on ponds, lakes, characteristics related to foraging method (and provides a system and streams. for subclassification into tribes below). Eat mostly aquatic plants Habits.— Frequently perch in trees, more so than other groups. and animals; some eat terrestrial plants occasionally. Can walk easily on land. Breeding.— Have elaborate courtship displays. Form seasonal Breeding.— Nest in cavities in trees. pair bond. Only female incubates and rears young. Illinois species: [ ] Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Common migrant and sum- Genus Anas, Dabbling Ducks mer resident, uncommon winter resident/ Breeds [M20] Distribution.— Worldwide. 10 eee 335 Anatidae, Anatidae Genus Aythya, Pochards or Bay Ducks [ ] Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) Common Distribution.— Almost worldwide; greatest development in the migrant and winter resident northern hemisphere; mostly absent from Africa and South America. [ ] Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) Uncommon Characteristics.— Need running start to become airborne; feet migrant and winter resident (S), occasional summer res- placed far back on body; heavy bodied; speculum usually pale, ident/ Breeds [M22] often white (not metallic); hind toe lobed. Sexes not alike. Habitat.— Usually nest on fresh water. Marine in winter. [ ] Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) Common Habits.— Forage by diving. Highly gregarious; migrate and win- migrant and winter resident ter in large flocks. Eat vegetation, animals. Awkward on land. Breeding.— Redhead semiparasitic or fully parasitic brood para- [ ] Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) Common site: intraspecific brood parasitism common. Most form seasonal migrant and uncommon winter resident pair bonds. Nest a floating mass of vegetation at waters edge, rarely inland. Female incubates and rears young. Genus Oxyura, Stiff-tailed Ducks Illinois species: Distribution.— Worldwide. Characteristics.— Small ducks with a long stiff, pointed tail; [ ] Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) Fairly common legs placed farther back on body than in other ducks, making them migrant, uncommon winter resident quite awkward on land; bill of male blue seasonally; neck short and thick; wings short; swim with tail held upright. Sexes dimorphic. [ ] Redhead (Aythya americana) Fairly common migrant, Habitat.— Usually found on fresh water. occasional winter resident, rare summer resident/ Habits.— Forage by diving; can sink below the surface like a Breeds [M21] grebe. Awkward on land. Breeding.— Most build nest