Aythya

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Aythya
2017-03-24 Aythya marila, male, Killingworth Lake, Northumberland 15.jpg
Greater scaup (Aythya marila), the type species of Aythya
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Tribe: Aythyini
Genus: Aythya
F. Boie, 1822
Type species
Anas marila [1]
Linnaeus, 1761
Species

12 species, see text

Aythya is a genus of diving ducks, with twelve species currently accepted. [2] The genus was described in 1822 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie, with the type species being greater scaup. [3] [4] The name Aythya comes from the Ancient Greek word αἴθυιᾰ (aithuia), which referred to an unknown diving-bird. [5] [6]

Contents

A tufted duck in flight showing the white wingbar Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) (53667828962).jpg
A tufted duck in flight showing the white wingbar

The species are plump, compact, medium-sized ducks ranging from 37–61 cm long, 60–84 cm wingspan, and weighing 410–1600 g, with canvasback the largest, and ring-necked duck and ferruginous duck marginally the smallest. The body plumage is variably white, grey, red-brown, or black, often with a finely vermiculated pattern; in several species, the flanks are white or pale grey, the back darker grey to black, and the breast and tail black. The heads are strongly coloured in the males, orange-red in some species, and black with a green to purple sheen (structural colour) in good light; the sheen colour varies with both species and angle of light incidence – in for example greater scaup, the head has a green sheen in direct light, but a purple sheen when backlit. In females, the heads are browner, sometimes with white patterning on the face. The eye colour is also variable in males, from white in ferruginous duck (leading to its archaic name of "white-eyed pochard"), through yellow in most species, to deep red in common pochard and canvasback; in females, the eye is brown in all species. The bills are short, fairly broad, and pale blue-grey to black, usually with a small black 'nail' at the tip; the pattern of blue-grey and black is important in species identification. In flight, the wings are dark grey to black, with a white to pale grey wingbar along the primary and secondary feathers; the pattern of the wingbar (whether all-white, or all-grey, or white on the secondaries and grey on the primaries) is an important identification feature. The webbed feet, used for propulsion in both swimming and diving, are 5–7 cm long, large for the size of the birds, and dark grey to blackish in all the species. [7] [8]

The species occur throughout Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Madagascar, and also in the northern half of Africa primarily in winter. Small numbers also reach the far north of South America in winter. In the breeding season, they are restricted to well-vegetated freshwater lakes, while in the winter they use both freshwater lakes and sheltered saltwater bays and inlets. [7]

Aythya species

The genus contains 12 species; all are monotypic except for A. marila, which has two subspecies in the Old and New Worlds, respectively. [2]

MaleFemaleScientific nameCommon nameDistributionConservation status
Canvasback (male) - Aythya valisineria, Oakley Street, Cambridge, Maryland.jpg Canvasback hen FWS 26.jpg A. valisineria Canvasback North Americaleast concern
Aythya ferina Finsbury 1.jpg Aythya ferina France.jpg A. ferina Common pochard Northern Europe into Asiavulnerable
Redhead - Aythya americana, Oakley Street, Cambridge, Maryland.jpg Redhead female RWD2.jpg A. americana Redhead North America, from northern Canada to the lower United Statesleast concern
AythyaCollaris 4951.JPG AythyaCollaris 4953.JPG A. collaris Ring-necked duck North America, from Alaska and northern Canada to the central United States, wintering south to the Caribbean; occasional visitor to Western Europeleast concern
Hardhead male drip.jpg Aythya australis female - Hurstville Golf Course.jpg A. australis Hardhead Australia; occasional visitor to New Guinea, New Zealand, and Vanuatu in the Pacificleast concern
Aythya baeri, Ukima Pond, Tokyo, Japan 1a.jpg Aythya baeri female.jpg A. baeri Baer's pochard Southeastern Russia and northeastern China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and Indiacritically endangered
Ferruginous duck 05.jpg Ferruginous Pochard (Aythya nyroca) (49177728373).jpg A. nyroca Ferruginous duck From the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb east to western Mongolia, south to Arabianear threatened
Madagascar Pochard, Captive Breeding Program, Madagascar 2.jpg Madagascar Pochard, Captive Breeding Program, Madagascar 1.jpg A. innotata Madagascar pochard Madagascarcritically endangered
NZ Scaup 01.jpg New Zealand Scaup (female) with chicks.jpg A. novaeseelandiae New Zealand scaup New Zealandleast concern
Male tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) 01.jpg Aythya fuligula (female) 01.jpg A. fuligula Tufted duck Throughout temperate and northern Eurasia; occasional visitor to the United States and Canadaleast concern
2017-03-24 Aythya marila, male, Killingworth Lake, Northumberland 22.jpg 2014-04-14 Aythya marila, female, Killingworth Lake, Northumberland 04.jpg A. marila Greater scaup Iceland, Northern Europe, Northern Asia except the Far East (A. m. marila); far northeastern Asia, Alaska, northern Canada (A. m. nearctica)least concern
Lesser Scaup (6974701193).jpg Aythya affinis.JPG A. affinis Lesser scaup Alaska through western Canada to western Montana, wintering east to the Atlantic Coast and south to Central America; occasional visitor to Western Europeleast concern

Hybrids

A tufted duck x common pochard hybrid. Note the casual resemblance to a lesser scaup in head shape, but distinguishable by the more uniform (less vermiculated) mantle feathers, and the bill pattern with a pale band and large black tip (uniform bluish in lesser scaup). 2014-04-23 Aythya ferina x Aythya fuligula hybrid, Northumberland 2.jpg
A tufted duck × common pochard hybrid. Note the casual resemblance to a lesser scaup in head shape, but distinguishable by the more uniform (less vermiculated) mantle feathers, and the bill pattern with a pale band and large black tip (uniform bluish in lesser scaup).

The species in the genus are all closely related, and are more prone to hybridisation than most other bird genera. [8] [9] Hybrids regularly seen in Europe include tufted duck × common pochard, tufted duck × ring-necked duck, greater scaup × tufted duck, and common pochard × ferruginous duck; [8] while in North America, ring-necked duck × greater scaup, greater scaup × tufted duck, and canvasback × redhead are frequent. [10] These hybrids can often resemble, and be mistaken for, other species in the genus; for example tufted duck × common pochard hybrids are easily mistaken for lesser scaup. [8] Usually only male hybrids are evident; female hybrids are less obvious and even more difficult to identify. [8] [10]

Diet

The diet, mostly obtained by diving to depths of 0.5–6 m (exceptionally 10 m), but also at times from the surface without diving, consists of a mixture of plant material (including seeds, leaves and roots of water plants) and bottom-dwelling invertebrates (including worms, molluscs, insects). In urban situations, several species have learnt to take bread or birdseed fed to ducks by people. [7] [11]

Breeding

The nests are hidden in dense waterside vegetation, for preference on islets which give greater security from land predators. Incubation of the [2–]6–10[–18] eggs takes 3–4 weeks, and is done entirely by the female. The ducklings fledge at around 6–7 weeks old, and are cared for primarily by the female, though the male may assist with guarding the ducklings. [7] [11] 'Dump nesting', where more than one female lays eggs in a nest, is common, and likely accounts for nests containing more than ten eggs. [11]

Prehistory

Aythya shihuibas was described from the Late Miocene of China. Zelenkov (2016) transferred the species Anas denesi Kessler (2013), known from the late Miocene of Hungary, to the genus Aythya. [12] An undescribed prehistoric species is known only from Early Pleistocene fossil remains found at Dursunlu, Turkey; [13] it might however be referrable to a paleosubspecies of an extant species considering its age (see also Greater scaup). Subfossils have also been found on Réunion; this Réunion pochard awaits formal description, and may prove to have been a population of the Madagascar pochard. [14]

The Miocene [ verification needed ]"Aythya" arvernensis is now placed in Mionetta , while "Aythya" chauvirae seems to contain the remains of two species, at least one of which does not seem to be a diving duck. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatidae</span> Biological family of water birds

The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and, in some cases, diving in at least shallow water. The family contains around 174 species in 43 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diving duck</span> Tribe of birds

The diving ducks, commonly called pochards or scaups, are a category of duck which feed by diving beneath the surface of the water. They are part of Anatidae, the diverse and very large family that includes ducks, geese, and swans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redhead (bird)</span> Species of North American diving duck

The redhead is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin americana, of America. The redhead is 40–56 cm (16–22 in) long with an 74–84 cm (29–33 in) wingspan; the weight ranges from 1,030–1,080 g (36–38 oz), with males weighing an average of 1,080 g (38 oz) and females an average of 1,030 g (36 oz). It belongs to the genus Aythya, together with 11 other described species. The redhead and the common pochard form a sister group which together is sister to the canvasback. This waterfowl is easily distinguished from most other ducks by the male's copper colored head and pale blue bill during the breeding season; from its close relative canvasback it is distinguished by the more rounded head, shorter bill, and yellow, not red, eye. The Eurasian common pochard is even more similar, but very rarely overlaps in range; it also differs in having a red eye, and a more acute, less rounded head shape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canvasback</span> Species of bird

The canvasback is a species of diving duck, the largest found in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring-necked duck</span> Species of bird

The ring-necked duck is a diving duck from North America commonly found in freshwater ponds and lakes. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin collaris, "of the neck" from collum, "neck".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common pochard</span> Species of bird

The common pochard, known simply as pochard in the United Kingdom, is a medium-sized diving duck in the family Anatidae. It is widespread across the Palearctic. It breeds primarily in the steppe regions of Scandinavia and Siberia, and winters further south and west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tufted duck</span> Species of bird

The tufted duck is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin fuligo 'soot' and gula 'throat'. It is a game bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater scaup</span> Species of bird

The greater scaup, just scaup in Europe or, colloquially, "bluebill" in North America, is a mid-sized diving duck, larger than the closely related lesser scaup and tufted duck. It spends the summer months breeding in Iceland, east across Scandinavia, northern Russia and Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada. During the winter, it migrates south to the coasts of Europe, eastern Asia, and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser scaup</span> Species of bird

The lesser scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the little bluebill or broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill. The origin of the name scaup may stem from the bird's preference for feeding on scalp—the Scottish word for clams, oysters, and mussels; however, some credit it to the female's discordant scaup call as the name's source. It is apparently a very close relative of the Holarctic greater scaup or "bluebill", with which it forms a superspecies. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin, affinis "related to", from its resemblance to the greater scaup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferruginous duck</span> Species of bird

The ferruginous duck, also known as ferruginous pochard, common white-eye or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurosiberia. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek word, αἴθυιᾰ, an unknown seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and the Russian word, нырок, the Russian word for pochard, which occurs in the bird's Russian common name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar pochard</span> Species of bird

The Madagascar pochard or Madagascan pochard is an extremely rare diving duck of the genus Aythya. Thought to be extinct in the late 1990s, specimens of the species were rediscovered at Lake Matsaborimena near Bemanevika in Madagascar in 2006. By 2017, a captive breeding program had produced a population of around 90 individuals. The birds were reintroduced to the wild in December 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baer's pochard</span> Species of bird

Baer's pochard is a diving duck found in eastern Asia. It is a resident bird in North and Central China, and formerly bred in southeast Russia and Northeast China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and India. Baer's pochard is a monotypic species. The holotype was collected in middle Amur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand scaup</span> Species of bird

The New Zealand scaup, also known as the black teal or pāpango in Māori, is a diving duck species of the genus Aythya endemic to New Zealand. They weigh around 650 grams (23 oz) and measure around 40 centimetres (16 in), and have dark-coloured plumage. They are found throughout New Zealand in deep natural and man-made lakes and ponds.

Gamebird hybrids are the result of crossing species of game birds, including ducks, with each other and with domestic poultry. These hybrid species may sometimes occur naturally in the wild or more commonly through the deliberate or inadvertent intervention of humans.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagdaha</span>

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References

  1. ↑ "Anatidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2024). "Screamers, ducks, geese & swans". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  3. ↑ Boie, Friedrich (1822). Tagebuch gehalten auf einer Reise durch Norwegen im Jahre 1817 (in German). Schleswig. pp. 308, 351.
  4. ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 482.
  5. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 64. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  6. ↑ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, αἴθυια". www.perseus.tufts.edu.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Carboneras, C. (1992). "Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 614–619. ISBN   84-87334-10-5.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Svensson, L., Mullarney, K., & Zetterström, D. (2022) Collins Bird Guide , ed. 3. ISBN   978-0-00-854746-2, pages 30-35
  9. ↑ Lehmhus, Jörn (2012). "Beitrag zur Identifikation von Entenhybriden der Gattung Aythya". AVES Braunschweig. 3: 33–40.
  10. 1 2 Sibley, David Allen (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Knopf. ISBN   978-0-307-95790-0.
  11. 1 2 3 Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1977). Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. I: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 561–593. ISBN   978-0-19-857358-6.
  12. ↑ Nikita V. Zelenkov (2016). "РЕВИЗИЯ НЕВОРОБЬИНЫХ ПТИЦ ПОЛГАРДИ (ВЕНГРИЯ, ВЕРХНИЙ МИОЦЕН). 1. Anseriformes". Paleontological Journal. 50 (5).
  13. ↑ Louchart, Antoine; Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile; Guleç, Erksin; Howell, Francis Clark & White, Tim D. (1998): L'avifaune de Dursunlu, Turquie, Pléistocène inférieur: climat, environnement et biogéographie. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris IIA327(5): 341–346. [French with English abridged version] doi : 10.1016/S1251-8050(98)80053-0 (HTML abstract)
  14. ↑ Hume, Julian, ed. (1970). "A Synopsis of the Pre-human Avifauna of the Mascarene Islands" (PDF). Paleornithological Research 2013: 195–238. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  15. ↑ Worthy, Trevor; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Jones, C.; McNamara, J.A. & Douglas, B.J. (2007): Miocene waterfowl and other birds from central Otago, New Zealand. J. Syst. Palaeontol. 5(1): 1–39. doi : 10.1017/S1477201906001957 (HTML abstract)
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