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.
Perching ducks used to be a part of the small subfamily of the Anatinae family, order Anseriformes. The species are quite different as they were grouped together by their readiness to perch on trees rather than physical and behavioral aspects. Now, Salvadori's teal (Salvadorina waigiuensis), blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos), and torrent duck (Merganetta armata) are placed in the subfamily Tadorninae.
They are appealing birds that have iridescent plumage and are closely related to dabbling ducks. Some of the popular perching ducks are the Muscovy duck, African pygmy duck (Nettapus auritus), and spur winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis).
To know more about them keep reading and do check out our other articles on green heron facts and common goldeneye facts.
The perching duck is a type of bird belonging to the Anatidae family, order Anseriformes.
Perching ducks (Cairinini) belong to the Aves class of the Animalia kingdom.
The tree perching duck has 14 species whose populations differ greatly. One of the species wood duck (Aix sponsa) has a population of 60,000-75,000 individuals and the Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) has around 65,000 individuals.
The North American Wood duck (Aix sponsa)and the Muscovy duck (Cairini) are endemic to America, torrent ducks (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) are endemic to the Santa Marta mountains of Andes and Colombia. Their distribution range covers a vast area of tropical and subtropical regions in Mexico, Africa and North America.
Typically, perching ducks inhabit forested lakes and rivers. They are widely dispersed in lakes, lagoons, streams, watersheds, and marshlands since they like to perch on trees alongside watercourses. They are seen perching high up in trees around water surrounded areas. Certain species like the Torrent duck (Merganetta armata) can be found in elevations up to 4,900 ft (1,500 m).
Their mating preference cannot be classified under one category as they all have certain differences. Some of the species like the Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) and ringed teal duck (Callonetta leucophrys) might be solitary, while others such as the North American wood duck (Aix sponsa) either live in pairs or small groups. Brazilian teal duck (Amazonetta brasiliensis) lives in small groups of 10-20 birds. All species of the perching ducks nest solitarily.
There is no general estimation of the lifespan of perching ducks. The species lifespans may be as high as 20 years (observed in perching Muscovy duck).
All of the species are oviparous, which means they reproduce by depositing eggs. When it comes to mating, they are extremely active. Females to a great extent rely on tree cavities to deposit their eggs. The species' egg production ranges between 8-17. The eggs are typically varying shades of white, with certain species having distinct hues, and their incubation time is around 30 days. Courtship behavior has been documented in many species. These ducks may mate with other diving or dabbling ducks. They are ducks like Mandarin ducks who cannot participate in hybridization due to the owing to the difference in chromosomal composition. Females of this species are reported to be the sole caretakers of the young ones.
Because there are 14 species, the conservation status somewhat varies. Except for the Salvadori's teal and blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos), all species are currently classified as Least Concern, with some populations declining. The blue duck is Endangered, whereas the Salvadori's teal is Vulnerable.
The morphological characteristics of the perching duck species vary. They are all supposed to have iridescent hues, and males are bigger than females. Males start the mating process, therefore they are considered to have more spectacular and eye catching hues unlike females rather have more muted colors. The juvenile's appearance may resemble that of their mothers. Male ducks can be aggressive, but females are calm and collected. Two distinct plumes might be recognized, breeding plumage and non breeding plumage. Also, mostly they are medium sized bids that have sharp black or dark claws.
The iridescent plumage observed in these birds is quite attractive. The bird Nettapus pulchellus (green pygmy goose) is named after a Latin term meaning pretty.
They communicate by making sounds known as calls. Their call notes range from low to high in pitch. The knob billed duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) is deemed silent, their sound is less frequent and even when they are, the frequency is quite low, unlike other ducks, such as the Australian duck (Chenonetta jubata) who are vocal and generate high pitched noises.
Perching duck species are not all the same length. The average length of these ducks is 18.5-2 in (47-56 cm). Among them, the largest is the white winged duck (Asarcornis scutulata), and the smallest ones are the green pygmy goose(Nettapus pulchellus) and African pygmy duck (Nettapus auritus). The former is the second largest duck species.
Since this family comprises 14 unique species, each of which is distinct from the others their weights vary too. The average weight is 14.6-24.3 oz (416 -689 g) with the knob billed bird being the heaviest.
This species of this sub-family is dimorphic and the sexes are significantly different. Males have bright plumage while females have subdued plumage. Generally, males are heavier than females. The mandarin duck in Chinese is called yuanyan, yuan female, and yan male. Not all of them have sex specific names. In that case, it is called perching duck female or male.
Other than perching duck baby there's no other name for the young ones.
The diet of this bird includes a wide variety. The main part of their diet is larva and pupae. Food like plants and seeds are favored by species such as mandarin ducks (Aix galericulata). Larger birds tend to consume insects, snails, crustaceans, mollusks, snakes, fish, and frogs.
The hazards they carry with them are less severe. Disturbing them and altering their way of life may cause them to become violent. Some of them even displayed hostile behavior against humans, but this is quite unusual. But watch out for the spur winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis). They are toxic because one of the things they eat, blister beetle. The poison cantharidin is deposited in the tissues of these birds. As a result, eating them causes slow poisoning.
Having them as pets might be tiresome. They are not particularly sociable, and their attitude toward humans varies. When this bird is kept away from their original habitat, they become increasingly haughty.
Most of the species are similar to dabbling ducks and the Australian wood duck is closely related to the ringed teal birds (Callonetta leucophrys) that are often referred to as relatives.
The pink-eared duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus) is sometimes called the zebra duck as they have black and white patterns similar to that of the zebra.
In China, the Mandarin perching duck couple is said to be a symbol of love.
Since Hartlaub's duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii) was closely related to dabbling ducks it was grouped in their subfamily.
Muscovy ducks often produce sterile eggs. This happens when they mate with other species.
Brazilian teal ducks (Amazonetta brasiliensis) are called dirty ducks by tourists as it is regularly seen relaxing in stagnant water puddles.
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos is an Endangered species. Their population is less than 3000 in the wild. Habitat loss and predations are being controlled to secure their population.
The most distinct feature is that these ducks, with the help of sharp claws, perch in long trees. Their nest is also found in great heights.
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 red crowned crane facts and Siberian crane facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable perching 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.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.