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| Kingdoms / Animalia / Craniata / Aves / Anseriformes / Anatidae / Sarkidiornis / Species |
| < > Sarkidiornis melanotos - Comb duck (Click photographs/illustrations: full picture & further details) |
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Alternative Names (Synonyms) |
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| Knob-billed duck Knob-billed goose Black-backed goose Nukhta (Indian) Hockerglanzente (German) Glanzente (German) Canard-a-bosse bronze (French) Sarcidiorne (French) Pato crestudo (French) Pato arrocero (Spanish) Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola - South American comb duck Sarkidiornis melanotos melanotos - Old World comb duck (Sarkidiornis sylvicola - American comb duck) |
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Names for newly-hatched |
Duckling, downy. |
Names for non-breeding males or other colour-phases |
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Species Author |
Debra Bourne |
Major References |
B1, B3, B6, B8, B19, B25, B26. Aviculture references: |
Other References |
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TAXA Group (where information has been collated for an entire group on a modular basis) |
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Parent Group |
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Specific Needs Group referenced in Management Techniques |
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Aviculture Information |
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Notes |
General information:
Species-specific information:
(J23.13.w7, B29, B30, B94, B97, D1). Aviornis UK Ringing Scheme recommended average ring size: R16.0mm (males) or P14.0mm (females) (D8). |
Management Techniques |
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External Appearance (Morphology)
Measurement & Weight |
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| Length | 22-30 inches, 56-76cm (B1, B25). | |
| Adult weight | General | 1230-2610g (B1). |
| Male | 1.3-2.61kg (B3); mean 5.0 lbs. (B8). | |
| Female | 1.23-2.33kg; mean 3.9 lbs. (B8). | |
| Newly-hatched weight | -- | |
| Growth rate | -- | |
| Adult | Bill | Male | Black. Prominent laterally flattened fleshy knob (comb) on basal 2/3 maxillary (upper) bill, much smaller outside breeding season. (B1, B3, B6, B8, B25, B26) |
| Variations (If present) | Female:- Black with no knob (B1, B3, B6, B8, B25, B26). | ||
| Eyes (Iris) | Male | Dark brown (B8, B25). | |
| Variations(If present) | -- | ||
| Juvenile | Bill | Black. | |
| Eyes (Iris) | Dark brown (B25). | ||
| Adult | Male | Dark grey (B3, B8, B25, B26). |
| Variations (If present) | -- | |
| Juvenile | Dark grey (B25). | |
| Adult | Male | Head and neck white spotted with back, yellow-tinge on back of head and neck in breeding season. Upperparts including flanks iridescent blue-green black, with stripe down side of breast. Breast and abdomen white, separated by black band from undertail coverts yellow to cinnamon. Wing metallic green/black. (B1, B3, B6, B8, B25, B26) |
| Variations (If present) | Female:- Head
has more spotting, no yellow. Ventral
area white. Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola:- Flanks grey. (B1, B3, B6, B8, B25, B26) |
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| Juvenile | Crown, upperparts and tail dark brown. Remainder of head, neck, underparts buff-brown with darker speckling on flanks and dark brown eye-stripe. (B3, B6, B25, B26). | |
Newly-hatched Characteristics |
| General: Upperparts
brown with buff-yellow spots on sides and wing. Underparts and face buff-yellow
with small line through eye. Bill: Grey. Feet: Grey with yellowish webs (B6) |
Reproductive Season |
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| Time of year | Variable. Usually in rainy season. Southern Africa - December to March ; India - July to September. (B1, B3, B8, B25). |
| No. of Clutches | One (B3) |
Nest placement and structure |
| In tree hollows e.g. 20-30 feet above ground level, also tree forks, nests of other birds, occasionally on the ground in tall grass or reeds or amongst stones. Twigs and coarse grass, lining of leaves, fine grass, feathers. (B1, B3, B6, B8, B25, B26 ) |
Egg clutches |
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| No. of Eggs | Average | -- |
| Range | 6-15 (B8); 6-20 (B1). 50 or more in dump nests (B8). | |
| Egg Description | White or yellow-tinged (B8), pale cream (B3); size: 62x43mm, weight:47g (B3) | |
| 28-30d (B1, B8) |
| Synchronous. |
| about 70 days (B1, B8). |
Sexual Maturity |
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| Males | -- |
| Females | -- |
Feeding Behaviour |
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| Adults | Graze on land, also feed in shallow water, swimming, wading and dabbling. (B1, B8, B25) |
| Newly-hatched | -- |
Parental Behaviour |
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| Nest-building | Solitary nests or in small groups. |
| Incubation | By female only. |
| Newly-hatched | Tended by female only. Loose crèche sometimes formed (B8) |
| Juveniles | Remain with female until molt movements (B8) |
Social Behaviour |
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| Intra-specific | Often form single-sex groups, larger in dry season (B3, B6, 25) |
| Inter-specific | -- |
Sexual Behaviour |
| Males often form harems, either attending several females at one time, or in succession (B8, B25). |
Predation in Wild |
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| Readily perch in trees, loaf on sandbanks or islets during the day (B6, B26) | |
| Circadian | Feeding pattern mainly crepuscular (early morning and late evening) (B26) |
| Vegetable-based. Seeds of grasses, sedges and aquatic plants, grain. Also terrestrial and aquatic insects (locusts and aquatic larvae), occasional small fish (B1, B3, B8, B26) |
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Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.) |
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| Normal | Sarkidiornis melanotos
melanotos (Old World comb duck): Africa south of Sahara (rare south of the orange
River and in north-eastern South Africa), Madagascar, southern Asia (particularly Ceylon,
India Burma, Thailand (B26) Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvatica (New World comb duck) South America, in tropical areas, approximately north and east of a line from the equator on the north-west coast to Rio de la Plata (B26) |
| Occasional and Accidental | -- |
| Introduced | -- |
| In wooded country and more open grasslands. Lakes, ponds, rivers, swamps. (B1, B19, B25, B26) |
Intraspecific variation |
| Two sub-species recognised, S. melanotos melanotos - Old World comb duck in Africa and Asia and S. melanotos sylvicola - South American comb duck, with grey rather than black flanks. Latter is sometimes considered a full species (S. sylvicola - American comb duck). (B1, B25) |
Conservation Status |
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| Wild Population - (Importance) |
Not globally threatened, but Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola may be considered near-threatened (B1) |
| CITES listing | CITES II (B1) |
| Red-data book listing | -- |
| Threats | Hunting, deforestation and poisoning by pesticides used to protect rice fields (B1, B8) |
Captive Populations |
| Well established in collections, with more Sarkidiornis melanotos sylvicola - New World comb ducks found in European collections and Sarkidiornis melanotos melanotos - Old World comb ducks in North American collections (B8). |
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