FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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The ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) is a medium-sized migratory duck species that is also known by the name common white-eye, ferruginous pochard, and white-eyed pochard. They are also called diving ducks of the Palearctic realm because these ducks feed while diving into the water. The Palearctic realm is the biogeographic division that stretches from Europe and Asia to North Africa.
The binomial name of ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca fuligule) is derived from the Greek and Russian name Aithuia and Nyrok, respectively, which means unknown, not identified seabird or duck.
For more relatable content, check out these common swift facts and canyon wren facts for kids.
The ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) is a duck species that are found in Asia and Europe. Some other types of ducks are the Muscovy duck, crested duck, and ring-necked duck.
The ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) belongs to the class of Aves, the genus of Aythya, order Anseriformes, and the family Anatidae, which consists of ducks, swans, geese.
The exact population of the ferruginous duck family is not exactly known yet, but their population is very less as their conservation status is declining as the day passes. If this continues, in no time, they will get extinct.
The ferruginous duck range extends from southeastern Europe to South Asia. They are also known to be migratory birds who migrate to parts of North Africa during the winter season.
The ferruginous duck's habitat consists of places with freshwater bodies. They are found in marshes, lakes, brackish waters, lagoons, wetlands, and different seas like the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Like every other duck species, the ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) is found living with different ducks, swans, and geese in the breeding habitat places like marshes and lakes. Although they prefer living with their own species, they can also be found with other groups of species.
The ferruginous duck's lifespan is not known yet. It is estimated that their lifespan is the same as the other species of duck, which can be around 10-12 years.
During the breeding season, the male and female ferruginous ducks come together for the breeding process. For building the nest, the pair find the perfect breeding habitat as the main cause of breeding failure is because the breeding nest is not in the perfect place. After building the nest, the female bird lays eggs while the male took care of the nest. It is the duty of the male duck bird to guard the nest while the female looks after the eggs.
The conservation status of the ferruginous duck is Near Threatened, and if this continues they could become an Endangered species. They are declining in population because of habitat destruction.
The description of male and female duck ferruginous is a little bit different as the females are duller in color than males. The description of the male is simple as they have a dark and chestnut-colored body with white patch underparts. In addition, they have a white-colored belly with yellow eye color.
While the female is duller brown with dark eyes, both the male and female have dark gray bills and white wings.
All ducks are cute, whether they are ferruginous duck or other species of duck.
Ferruginous ducks communicate with each other through various use of vocalizations. Some of the vocals that they produce are quacks, coos, whistles, and grunts. Apart from these, they also produce various calls like hail calls and decrescendo calls.
The size of the ferruginous ducks is around 14.9-16.5 in (38-42 cm) in length. These birds are larger than the little seagull which is around 9.8 in (25 cm) in length.
The average speed that the ferruginous bird can fly is not estimated yet. But we assumed that they could take long flights because they are migratory bird species.
The weight of the ferruginous bird is up to 1.2 lb (570 g).
There are no specific names for the males and females species of these birds.
The baby ferruginous birds are known as ducklings. When the ducklings are one day old, they can swim and run. These baby birds also start to catch their own food in two to three days.
The diet of ferruginous duck consists of both aquatic plants as well as fish. In addition, they can feed on crustaceans, invertebrates, and small insects. The habit of these birds is to take dive inside the water and then feed on the insects. These birds also feed at night when most of the fishes are not active.
The ferruginous duck is not known to be a dangerous animal to humans. On the contrary, ducks are actually quite friendly with humans.
The ferruginous duck cannot be a satisfactory pet to a human. The main reason behind this is that they cannot live without water and prefer to feed on live fish.
The feet of the ferruginous duck are designed in such a way for swimming that they lack blood vessels and nerves on their feet so they can easily swim above the freezing and cold waters.
These ducks are given the name ferruginous because it resembles the iron rust by its color, and these bird species fit into this category.
To differentiate between the ferruginous duck and tufted duck hybrid is quite easy. The head shape is not exactly perfect for the ferruginous duck. Tufted duck hybrids have slightly different flanks and breasts to the ferruginous ducks.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our black cuckoo facts and Anna's hummingbird facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Ferruginous 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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