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| Kingdoms / Animalia / Craniata / Aves / Anseriformes / Anatidae / Tachyeres / Species |
| < > Tachyeres pteneres - Flightless steamerduck (Click photographs/illustrations: full picture & further details) |
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Alternative Names (Synonyms) |
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| Magellanic Flightless
Steamer Duck Magellanic Steamerduck Racehorse Seahorse Loggerhead Magellan-Dampfschiffe (German) Brassemer cendre (French) Canard-vapeur de Patagonie (French) Patovapor del Magallanes (Spanish) Pato quetru novolador (Spanish) Pato vapor magallanico (Spanish) |
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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, B4, B7,B8, B19, B25 |
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:
Aviornis UK Ringing Scheme suggested average closed ring size: T 20.0mm (D8). |
Management Techniques |
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External Appearance (Morphology)
Measurement & Weight |
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| Length | 29-33 inches; 74-84cm (B3, B1). | |
| Adult weight | General | 3629-6180g (B1). |
| Male | 5.897-6.180kg average 6.039kg (B3); mean 11.7 lbs., maximum 14.0 lbs. (B8). | |
| Female | 3.629-4.763kg average 4.111kg (B3); mean 9.5 lbs. (B8). | |
| Newly-hatched weight | -- | |
| Growth rate | -- | |
| Adult | Bill | Male | Orange with black nail. Sturdy (B3, B25). |
| Variations (If present) | Orange-yellow with black nail. Sturdy (B3, B25). | ||
| Eyes (Iris) | Male | Dark brown (B8, B25) | |
| Variations(If present) | -- | ||
| Juvenile | Bill | Dusky; nail black (B25). | |
| Eyes (Iris) | Dark brown (B25). | ||
| Adult | Male | Yellow-orange, dusky webs (B8, B25). |
| Variations (If present) | -- | |
| Juvenile | Dull brown-yellow (B25). | |
| Adult | Male | Head and neck
blue-grey, sometimes paler crown and forehead, narrow eyering white, continuing
backwards as stripe, throat reddish-brown. Upperparts and breast
blue-grey with darker slate-grey feather edges. Abdomen, ventral area and undertail
coverts white, tail grey. Wings dark grey with outer 6-7 secondaries and their greater coverts (speculum) white, primaries grey-black. Large bony knobs on wing. |
| Variations (If present) | Female:- Head darker grey-brown, eyering and eyeline continuing backwards white, throat dark reddish. Body and wings as males, but may have brown/wine colouring on feathers (B3, B25). | |
| Juvenile | Head and neck dark grey-brown, eyering narrow, pale. Body as adults but plainer grey. | |
Newly-hatched Characteristics |
| General: Upperparts
and breast dark grey-brown, white spots behind eye and lower on head, small white spot
on wings; Underparts and throat whitish. (B4, B7) Bill: Black (B4) Feet: Black (B4) |
Nest placement and structure |
| On ground near water, well concealed in shrubby vegetation (B1, B3, B8, B25). Also in old penguin burrows (B8). Shallow bowl with dense downy lining (B8). |
Egg clutches |
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| No. of Eggs | Average | Mean 9 (B8). |
| Range | 5-8 (B1); 4-11 (B8); 612 (B4). | |
| Egg Description | Ivory. Size: 82 x 56mm, Weight: 167g (B3) | |
| About 30-40 days (B1); 28-30 days (B8). |
| Synchronous. |
| 120-130 days (B8). |
Sexual Maturity |
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| Males | Nesting 2-3 years old (B8). |
| Females | Nesting 2-3 years old (B8). |
Feeding Behaviour |
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| Adults | Dive in shallow kelp beds, particularly at high tide (B1, B3, B8, B25) . |
| Newly-hatched | -- |
Parental Behaviour |
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| Nest-building | Solitary nests (B1, B8). |
| Incubation | By female, male defending (B3, B8). |
| Newly-hatched | Both attend and defend (B3). |
| Juveniles | Driven from territory once independent; form flocks (B8). |
Social Behaviour |
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| Intra-specific | Highly territorial while breeding (B8, B25). May form small flocks, particularly while moulting, but rarely of more than 25-30 birds (B3, B8). |
| Inter-specific | Also aggressive towards Tachyeres patachonicus - Flying steamerduck and other birds while breeding (B8). May be seen in mixed flock with Tachyeres patachonicus - Flying steamerduck in winter (B25). |
Sexual Behaviour |
| Monogamous life-long pair bonds (B4, B8) |
Predation in Wild |
| Foxes, caracaras (eggs), large gulls, skuas, giant petrels (young birds) (B3, B8). |
| Loaf on rocks when not feeding (B3, B8, B25). | |
| Circadian | Tidal activity pattern: feed at high tide, loaf and preen at low tide (B3, B8, B25). |
| Salt-water molluscs and crustaceans, small fish (B1, B3). |
| Probably small snails, insect larvae, amphipods, isopods (B8). |
Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.) |
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| Normal | Coasts and coastal islands from southern Chile and Chiloé to Tierra del Fuego (B1, B19). Movements Sedentary; small local movements only. |
| Occasional and Accidental | -- |
| Introduced | -- |
| Rocky coasts; breeding sheltered bays and further inland (B1, B3, B8). |
Intraspecific variation |
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Conservation Status |
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| Wild Population - (Importance) |
Not threatened (B1). |
| CITES listing | -- |
| Red-data book listing | -- |
| Threats | -- |
Captive Populations |
| Reasonably established but too aggressive to be popular (B8). |
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