Stats

Lifespan

10-15 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Flock

Biome

Boreal freshwater lakes

Range

Northern Hemisphere

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Common

About

A compact diving duck named for its piercing golden-yellow eyes, the male sports a glossy dark green head with a round white cheek patch. It nests almost exclusively in tree cavities, and newly hatched ducklings must leap—unharmed—from the nest hole to the ground or water below, sometimes falling over 15 meters.

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

Bucephala

Species

Bucephala clangula