Torrent ducks

The parents aid the ducklings in order to guide them through the dangerous water, keeping the newly hatched ducklings between themselves and the bank. The ducklings are immediately able to swim in these fast currents. If a duckling is swept downstream by the current, both parents chase after it to save it. Torrent ducks are difficult to rear in captivity. The longest living torrent duck in captivity was a single 18 year old female.

Lifespan in the wild is not well understood. Todd, Torrent ducks are strong swimmers and divers, and thus rely mostly on transportation through swimming, with little emphasis on flying for mobility. These ducks fly one to several meters above the surface of the river to get from one part of the river to another. They swim using their large, powerful feet and they nod their heads while swimming. Their small bodies allow them to rapidly scale waterfalls.

Their long, powerful claws are perfectly adapted to clinging to slippery rocks. Their strong tails are used for steering and diving as well as for balancing on steep and slippery rocks in the middle of the rivers. Torrent ducks are cautious animals and swim with most of their bodies submerged when frightened, to avoid detection.

Torrent ducks groom their feathers almost constantly to maintain their waterproof qualities. A pair of torrent ducks will occupy a variable length of river, depending on the abundance of resources in that area.

Torrent ducks are territorial and vocal, males use the long spurs on their legs to ward off invaders. Baldassarre and Bolen, ; Todd, Male and female torrent ducks differ in the type of sounds they make. To communicate, the male call is a high pitched whistle in one single tone, which can be heard over the turbulent river water. The female has a deeper, booming call, much like a squabble or quacking. Male and female ducks usually communicate to their mate and with their young, and as a territorial warning signal to either neighbors or intruders.

A whistling noise is also created by these ducks when they are taking off or landing. Johnsgard, ; Merne, ; Todd, Torrent ducks use their sleek lined body to dive into fast flowing rivers to catch insect prey such as stonefly larvae , mayfly larvae , caddisfly larvae , and other larvae, small fish, mollusks , crustaceans , and other aquatic invertebrates.

Torrent ducks may also wait underneath a powerful waterfall to catch prey. Torrent ducks use several techniques to bring food from different depths of the river, including kicking it up with their feet. They will also scavenge and wade in the more shallow areas of the river in eddies and underneath rocks.

A wide and shallow stretch of river will produce the most abundant amount of resources for the ducks. Young ducklings are believed to have the same diet as their parents. Humans sometimes hunt torrent ducks. Otherwise, little is known about natural predators of torrent ducks.

It is likely that most predation is on the young hatchlings once they've left the nest. Torrent ducks live in a habitat that is challenging to navigate for most animals and they construct nests in inaccessible places. It is possible that most predation on young torrent ducks is by large fish. Torrent ducks impact populations of invertebrate larvae through predation. Torrent ducks are hunted and eaten by humans.

Torrent ducks have a fairly stable population and tend to inhabit large areas of inaccessible terrain that acts as natural protection. However, torrent ducks are sensitive to habitat changes such as pollution, pesticide contamination hydroelectric dam construction, and introduced species of trout Salmo trutta , Salvelinus fontinalis , Oncorhynchus mykiss , and other Salmo and Oncorhynchus species that compete for food.

Torrent ducks once inhabited Isla Grande but no longer do, due to predation by humans. Humphrey, et al. Merganetta armata has at least six subspecies, they differ only in their coloration and distribution. The subspecies include: M. Merganetta armata armata , however, inhabits the largest range. Merne, ; Baldassarre and Bolen, ; Merne, Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a now extinct synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities.

Convergent in birds. Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons or periodic condition changes. This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation. Next Salvadori's Teal. Jack C. Eitniear Version: 1. Sign in to see your badges. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London , Pt9 no. More details: Guide to key entries Standard abbreviations and symbols. Account navigation Account navigation Introduction.

Revision History. Originally Appeared in. Because after we found that female she led us right to a male. And did they put on a show! The couple engaged in a beautiful display as another pair of ducks entered their territory.

They then proceeded to drive the other ducks off. Funnily enough it was the female that was most aggressive, charging through the violent waters and viciously biting the other birds. Torrent Ducks share their habitat in Colombia with another striking and highly unusual species, the White-capped Dipper. These beautiful counterparts of the more familiar American and European Dippers are indicators of water quality and are unlikely to be found in any streams of dubious H20 purity.

Whilst searching for the ducks it just made birding sense to keep an eye out for these little beauties. How freakin bizarre is that?? Its almost as outlandish as an aquatic squirrel. My son tells me that there are such things as aquatic squirrels. He has seen one on Spongebob Squarepants. I find that hard to believe.

White-capped Dipper Richard Crossley. Spending time with the dippers was awesome. It is fascinating to watch them hunt in these fast-moving streams and interesting to note that they do not submerge themselves as the other northern dipper species, preferring instead to keep their heads above water most of the time. To the untrained eye a dipper appears like an ordinary songbird.

It has regular songbird-like feet and is the general shape and size of a regular songbird. But delve a bit deeper and dippers reveal the secrets to their watery success. Covered by dense plumage and blessed with rather large preen glands, dippers are well-insulated against the turbulent waters. They have short and strongly-muscled wings that can act as instruments of flight or as flippers.

Long legs with sharp toes enable them to cling onto rocks and vertical surfaces. Their eyes have the ability to change the curvature of the eye-lens to enable proficient underwater vision and they even have nasal flaps to prevent water from entering their nostrils. In short these are badass birds and they should be inducted in the Avian Hall of Fame immediately. The guys below…well…not so much. Looking for Torrent Ducks can be frustrating, especially with weird company.