#sarkidiornis

[herpsandbirds]

American Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis sylvicola), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Peru

photograph by Miguel José Morán Morán

[thebeastsofindia]

Knob Billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Gujarat, India

Photo by Rotem Avisar

[birdblues]

Knob-billed Duck

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Sarkidiornis melanotos, S. sylvicola

Knob-Billed Duck by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Name: Sarkidiornis melanotos, S. sylvicola

Status: Extant

First Described: 1838

Described By: Eyton

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Anseriformes, Anseres, Anatoidea, Anatidae

Sometimes, ducks are just so extra that you have to step back for a minute. This is one of those times. Sarkidiornis is a genus of two species, the Knob-Billed Duck S. melanotos, and the Comb Duck S. sylvicola. Their uniting feature? The giant circle on their bills, which mark these ducks as especially distinctive. Originally considered to have just one species, S. melanotos, it has since been split into two - one from africa and Asia, and the other from South America. 

Comb Duck by Thurner Hof, CC BY-SA 3.0 

The Comb Duck, S. sylvicola, is found in South America, especially in the wetlands of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. They are smaller in size than their sister species, though still with the very noticeable comb on their bills. They have speckled plumage on the neck and dark feathers on their backs, with white feathers on the breast. The females lack the comb, indicating that it’s a sexual display structure. Not considered threatened with extinction, they are extremely common and, more to the point, some of the largest ducks known, weighing up to nearly three kilograms, though the males are usually larger. They live in swamps and lakes, not moving much depending on the season. They graze and dabble, feeding on vegetation, fish, invertebrates, and seeds. They also perch in trees, which just amplifies their weirdness. They nest in tree holes and tall grass, and are not monogamous - the males will mate up to five times per season, defending their mates and the young of all the females they pair with. 

Knob-Billed Duck by J. M. Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0 

The Knob-Billed duck, S. melanotos, is also not endangered, but lives in Africa, Madagascar, Pakistan, Laos, India, and southern China, instead of South America. They are very large as well, almost up to 3 kilograms, with the males larger than the females. The females lack the large knobs in this species as well. They are usually larger than the Comb Duck, but not by much and are in general quite similar in appearance, though browner than their counterparts. They live in swamps and lakes, and also do not migrate. They feed on vegetation, fish, and seeds, same as their cousins. They nest in tree holes, and sometimes don’t nest if the rainy season was lacking. The males defend the females and young, and mate with many females at a time, same as the Comb Duck. 

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Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarkidiornis 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob-billed_duck 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comb_duck 

[herpsandbirds]

Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Kruger National Park, South Africa

photograph by Brian Radford

[herpsandbirds]

Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, India

photograph by Raju Karia‎

[thebeastsofindia]

Knob Billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Gujarat, India

Photo by Sumanth Kerur

[nunoxaviermoreira]

Oca _054 Sarkidiornis melanotos by Rolando CRINITI Sarkidiornis melanotos o più comunemente oca bernoccoluta, ripresa a Racconigi (CN) https://flic.kr/p/2iVDhWF