Female Comb Duck

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Description:

The Comb Ducks have a black bill with a comb on two-thirds of it. The comb is so prominent that it can be seen even while the duck is in flight. Males are about double the size of the female. During breeding season the males comb will become larger than normal. Females have a black bill but do not have a comb. Both sexes are generally black and white; the males back feathers are glossy green and white and the females tend to have more spotted heads. Both sexes have white underbellies. Juvenile comb ducks have brown feathers on their heads and their upper bodies and their under-bellies are white. The area under their eyes is white and their wings are green. Old World Comb Ducks are able to cling to trees branches with their powerful nails. When migrating, they fly in irregular formations or in a V-formation and they make a loud swishing sound as their wings flap. They are often found alone or in small groups, but during the dry season they will sometimes gather in flocks of a hundred non-breeding birds; sometimes in sexually segregated groups. They have also been known to associate with other water birds. Their call sounds like a short raspy whistle or a croak. Different sounds may be made by different sexes. These ducks are mostly polygamous. Although they are generally polygamous, they will become monogamous when the population is small enough. A drake might mate with two hens at the same time, which is called harem polygamy. Or the drake can mate with up to five different females in succession called successive polygamy. Comb Ducks are generally docile creatures, although the male can become aggressive when its young are threatened. Comb Ducks will wade in shallow waters and graze on grass or aquatic vegetation. They will also eat seeds, invertebrates and small fish. They can also be pests to rice farmers.