Stiff-tailed Ducks
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The stiff-tailed ducks are part of the Oxyurinae subfamily of ducks. All have, as their name implies, long stiff tail feathers, which are erected when the bird is at rest. All have relatively large swollen bills.
These are freshwater diving ducks. Their legs are set far back, making them awkward on land, so they rarely leave the water.
Their unusual displays involve drumming noises from inflatable throat-sacs, head throwing, and erecting short crests.
Plumage sequences are complicated, and aging difficult.
Species:
- Blue-billed Duck, Oxyura australis (The Blue-billed Duck is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck)
- Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis
- White-headed Duck, Oxyura leucocephala
- Maccoa Duck, Oxyura maccoa (the Maccoa Duck is a small African stiff-tailed duck)
- Argentine Blue-bill, Oxyura vittata (the Argentine Blue-bill or Argentine Lake Duck is small South American stiff-tailed duck)
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Diet / Feeding:
Ducks generally feed on larvae and pupae usually found under rocks, aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
Feeding Ducks ...
We all enjoy ducks and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around - and it works! Who doesn't like an easy meal!
However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird - so it's best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.
- Click here to find out which foods to feed them that will offer the nutrition they need to survive a cold winter and remain healthy
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