Stats

Lifespan

5-10 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Flock

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

A small dabbling duck of North American marshes, the drake marked by a bold white crescent between eye and bill. Among the earliest waterfowl to migrate south each fall, some individuals travel as far as South America.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A clutch of eggs rests in a down-lined nest near water, covered and warmed by the brooding female.
2. 2.
   hatchling

   A downy hatchling follows its mother to the water within hours and feeds itself almost immediately.
3. 3.
   juvenile

   A juvenile grows its first true feathers, swimming in the family group and learning to dabble or dive.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown with adult plumage.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Anseriformes

Family

Anatidae

Genus

Spatula

Species

Spatula discors