Thursday 1 April 2010

(The) Brazilian Duck

This is a duck, it's in Brazil, and it's name is the Brazilian Duck, which is at least informative, as far as it goes. Actually it's range extends from Venezuela to Argentina, but the majority are, probably, Brazilian.

Again as the name implies, Brazilian ducks are reasonably common. They live in pairs or groups of up to 15, eating seeds, roots, insects and, it has been claimed, fish. The ducklings eat exclusively insects, which has to be a good thing in Brazil, where there are altogether too many insects such as mosquitoes with aquatic life cycles.

A little drab on the ground, in flight Brazilian ducks display their iridescent green wings. They can also be recognised, apparently, by a loud "weeping whistle" in flight and a habit of flying low over the water.

And that's it!, almost all I could find - and half that is from a guide to hunting them! Even scientifically, the only publications are on a rather stale taxonomic debate and an apparent susceptibility to every parasite going.

I know they're small and brown and unobtrusive, but surely they deserve a little more regard than that? Even the name displays a lack of interest, a half hearted attempt to call them Brazilian teals is not much of an improvement. Why not the Guarani dabbler, or Samba pochard or something?
Anyway, that is the Brazilian Duck.

1 comment:

sw said...

What! No recipe?