FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
A variety of living beings exist in the world and in habitats, from microscopic to macroscopic levels. If one tries to observe a little more of the different family genus species, they will realize that some of these are so unusual that it is unbelievable that they actually exist. One such unusual duck also happens to be one of the largest species of birds of the world are native to the South American Continent are comb ducks, also known as the African comb duck. One can spot them unmistakably. The comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) was first described by two biologists, Hermann Friedrich Albert von Ihering and Rodolpho Theodor Wilhelm Gaspar von Ihering in 1907. These ducks are found near the Paraguay river, northeastern Argentina, and southeastern Brazil and are also found as vagrants in Trinidad. Both male and female adult ducks have white heads freckled with dark black spots.
But male comb ducks have a distinguishing feature of the dark black knob on their bill for which they are known as knob billed duck and adults have a white appearance. Scientifically, they are known as Sarkidiornis Sylvicola. After reading about comb ducks, you may also look at paradise shelduck and Rajdah shelduck for more information on these beings.
A comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) is a bird and more specifically it is a Southern American duck with a very unusual appearance. They belong to the genus Sarkidiornis and are scientifically known as Sarkidiornis sylvicola. Male ducks are physically different in appearance to female ducks and were first studied by two biologists namely H. von Ihering. & R. von Ihering in 1907.
A comb duck is a bird belonging to class aves of the phylum Chordata of kingdom Animalia. They further belong to the family Anatidae, the family of ducks, swans, and geese, under the order Anseriformes, the order consisting of around 180 species.
These ducks are exclusive to certain regions in South America, Madagascar, Sub-Saharan Africa, and tropical regions of southeast Asia. Their population in these places is stable for now and around 10,000 mature individuals are reportedly breeding in these regions.
A comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) is found in their habitat range featuring abundant water and greenery such as open woodlands, tropical savannah, fields, and ponds in South America. Here they are found in the Paraguay river region, in Southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and they are also found in Trinidad. Their populations can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, India, Southern China, Vietnam, and Thailand as well. Unmated males perch in trees and wait for opportunities to mate during the breeding season.
A comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) is a wild duck whose habitat is found nesting in tree holes and in between tall grasses. Besides, their habitat is found in farms, in open woodland regions, marshes, near lakes and floodplains, and river deltas foraging.
In the wet season, comb ducks are found in flocks and nest in tree holes. They separate for mating and a male can have one or more female ducks with him for mating. A mother duck is also seen with her duckling moving around in ponds.
A comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) has extreme longevity in comparison to other birds. But extreme hunting and deforestation are a reason for their decreasing survival rate. On average an African comb duck can live in the range of 20-30 years. These ducks of Africa can last even longer if the ideal conditions are provided.
Before mating or breeding, these ducks nest in the tree holes and near tall grasses. Male comb ducks perch in trees and wait for a chance to mate with a female. They show polygamy and at a time, a male can mate with one or more (up to five) female ducks in total. After breeding, the female lays around 7 - 15 eggs that are yellow-white in appearance.
Their population is stable for now and they fall under the Least Concern category of the IUCN Red List. But a threat is imposed on their existence and survival due to increasing industrial practices leading to deforestation.
Both male and female comb ducks have certain distinguishing features with their head freckled with dark spots and spots are grey in females. These ducks are one of the largest species of ducks and can grow up to 30 in (76.2 cm) in length. The adult duck has a white head that is heavily freckled with black spots. They have a pure white neck and underparts. Besides, their upper parts are blue-black, and glossy with greenish iridescent. Male ducks are visually larger in size than female ducks and have a large black-colored knob on their bill. Young comb ducks have a very similar appearance to fulvous whistling ducks and owing to their lighter plumage color they are easily distinguished from the adult ducks.
Female comb ducks are fine but male ducks are not that cute. Especially due to the knob on their bill. A lot of people do not find them cute but rather intimidating, especially due to their appearance and markings. But some people have rather opposite opinions; they find them unique and adorable.
Besides quacking, they have their own ways of communicating. A hail call and a decrescendo call are used to communicate with other members of the same species. They have a vast vocabulary and show unique vocalization. They can whistle, coo, grunt, and produce soft to loud noises to express their emotions.
The comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) is a large-sized ave, with males usually being bigger in size than female comb ducks. On average, their length range is 22-30 in (56-76 cm) and their wingspan can grow in the range of 46-57 in (116-145 cm) in length.
These birds are comparatively fast swimmers. An adult duck can swim with a speed range of up to 6 mph (9.6 kph). A really adorable sight is to see baby ducks swimming behind their mother duck.
Even though the knob-billed duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) grows large in size, it does not weigh much as compared to their size. This is because their plumage is light and makes up the exoskeleton and their body has a very dynamic shape that enables them easy flight. On average an adult comb duck can weigh between 2.3-6.4 lb (1.03-2.9 kg) in weight.
Males of this species do have separate names; they are sometimes referred to as drakes and are also commonly referred to as mallards. But the females do not have any separate names and are referred to as just female ducks.
A baby comb duck is referred to as ducklings. Ducklings stay with their mother ducks till they are grown enough to fend on their own. A juvenile Comb duck is very similar in appearance to a fulvous whistling duck.
A knob-billed duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) feeds on an omnivorous diet. It feeds on a variety of leaves, seeds of the grasses, aquatic plants, small fish, vegetable matter, and also on insect larvae and locusts.
They are not exactly dangerous but males may get aggressive while defending their females and the young ones. But they are not a threat to somebody's life.
These ducks are not very high maintenance and are kept in fields by many people. But it is not a common practice to take them as pets since they are meant for the wild and not to be kept in a domesticated environment.
Comb ducks are highly migratory birds. They travel up to a distance of 2,200 miles (3541 km) to forage.
Male comb ducks have a knob on their bills while the females don't. Also, they are bigger in size than females.
A knob-billed duck, on average, lays around 7-15 yellowish-white eggs. But records show that they can lay up to 50 eggs.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these scarlet macaw facts and wren facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable comb duck coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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