Latin: Sarkidiornis melanotos
Average length: M 76 cm F 56 cm
Average weight: M 2250 g, F 1750 g
Description: Comb ducks are generally gooselike in appearance, and both sexes are relatively silent, but sometimes utter a low croak when flushed. During breeding season, several short wheezy whistles, grunts and hisses may be given in display or aggression. Males: A large fleshy round comb on upper mandible dominates the male's features, along with a line down the center of the crown and black hindneck. His feathers are slightly curly. The rest of head, neck, and most of the underparts are white, with the head and neck irregularly spotted black. The rest of upperparts and wings are black glossed green and purple. Females: Similar to male but smaller, more profusely spotted on head, and no comb.
Breeding:The comb duck is a sociable duck that lives in freshwater swamps and lakes in tropical lowlands. Breeding season depends very much on local rainy seasons in Venezuela. Nest sites are usually close to the waterside in large cavities in hollow trees but occasionally in holes in walls of isolated buildings or a large abandoned nest in a tree. The nest is sometimes on the ground.
Migrating and Wintering: Comb ducks are widely distributed but rather scarce from eastern Panama west of the Andes to northern Peru, and east of the Andes to northern Argentina and Uruguay (Scott and Carbonell, 1986).
Population:Estimated to have between 25,000-100,000 individuals (Rose and Scott, 1994).
Food habits: Comb ducks feed primarily by grazing on adjacent waterside grasslands, or by wading and swimming in shallows.
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