Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Redhead (bird)
The redhead (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin americana, of America. The redhead is 40–56 cm (16–22 in) long with an 74–84 cm (29–33 in) wingspan; the weight ranges from 1,030–1,080 g (36–38 oz), with males weighing an average of 1,080 g (38 oz) and females an average of 1,030 g (36 oz). It belongs to the genus Aythya, together with 11 other described species. The redhead and the common pochard form a sister group which together is sister to the canvasback. This waterfowl is easily distinguished from most other ducks by the male's copper colored head and pale blue bill during the breeding season; from its close relative canvasback it is distinguished by the more rounded head, shorter bill, and (in the males) yellow, not red, eye. The Eurasian common pochard is even more similar, but very rarely overlaps in range; it also differs in having a red eye, and a more acute, less rounded head shape.
Other names that have been used for the redhead include red-headed duck and the red-headed pochard.
The redhead is in the family Anatidae (ducks, swans, geese) and genus Aythya (diving ducks). There are currently no accepted subspecies of the redhead.
The two syntype specimens of Fuligula americana Eyton (Monogr. Anat., 1838, p.155) are held in the vertebrate zoology collections of National Museums Liverpool at World Museum, with accession numbers NML-VZ D829 (male immature) and NML-VZ D829a (female adult). The specimens were collected in North America and came to the Liverpool national collection via Thomas Campbell Eyton's collection and the 13th Earl of Derby's collection which was bequeathed to the city of Liverpool.
The redhead and the common pochard form a sister group which itself is sister to the canvasback. This group is then sister to the monophyletic group consisting of the white-eyes (hardhead, Madagascar pochard, and the sister species ferruginous duck and baer's pochard) and scaups (New Zealand scaup, ring-necked duck, tufted duck, greater scaup, lesser scaup).
The redhead is a pochard, a diving duck specially adapted to foraging underwater. Their legs are placed further back on the body, which makes walking on land difficult. The webbing on their feet is larger than dabbling ducks and their bills are broader to facilitate underwater foraging. In addition, pochards have a lobed hind toe. No pochard has a metallic colored speculum, something that is characteristic of other ducks.
During breeding season, adult males have a copper head and neck, with a black breast. The back and sides are gray, the belly is white and the rump and tail are black. Male bills are pale blue with a black tip and a thin ring separating the two colors. Non-breeding males lose the copper color and instead have brown heads. The eyes are yellow, one of the most obvious distinctions from canvasback and common pochard, which have red eyes.
Adult females, however, have a yellow to brown head and neck. The breast is brown, the belly is white and the rest of the body is a gray to brown. The female bills are slate with a dark tip that is separated by a blue ring. Females remain the same color year round. The eyes are brown, as in all other Aythya species.
Hub AI
Redhead (bird) AI simulator
(@Redhead (bird)_simulator)
Redhead (bird)
The redhead (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin americana, of America. The redhead is 40–56 cm (16–22 in) long with an 74–84 cm (29–33 in) wingspan; the weight ranges from 1,030–1,080 g (36–38 oz), with males weighing an average of 1,080 g (38 oz) and females an average of 1,030 g (36 oz). It belongs to the genus Aythya, together with 11 other described species. The redhead and the common pochard form a sister group which together is sister to the canvasback. This waterfowl is easily distinguished from most other ducks by the male's copper colored head and pale blue bill during the breeding season; from its close relative canvasback it is distinguished by the more rounded head, shorter bill, and (in the males) yellow, not red, eye. The Eurasian common pochard is even more similar, but very rarely overlaps in range; it also differs in having a red eye, and a more acute, less rounded head shape.
Other names that have been used for the redhead include red-headed duck and the red-headed pochard.
The redhead is in the family Anatidae (ducks, swans, geese) and genus Aythya (diving ducks). There are currently no accepted subspecies of the redhead.
The two syntype specimens of Fuligula americana Eyton (Monogr. Anat., 1838, p.155) are held in the vertebrate zoology collections of National Museums Liverpool at World Museum, with accession numbers NML-VZ D829 (male immature) and NML-VZ D829a (female adult). The specimens were collected in North America and came to the Liverpool national collection via Thomas Campbell Eyton's collection and the 13th Earl of Derby's collection which was bequeathed to the city of Liverpool.
The redhead and the common pochard form a sister group which itself is sister to the canvasback. This group is then sister to the monophyletic group consisting of the white-eyes (hardhead, Madagascar pochard, and the sister species ferruginous duck and baer's pochard) and scaups (New Zealand scaup, ring-necked duck, tufted duck, greater scaup, lesser scaup).
The redhead is a pochard, a diving duck specially adapted to foraging underwater. Their legs are placed further back on the body, which makes walking on land difficult. The webbing on their feet is larger than dabbling ducks and their bills are broader to facilitate underwater foraging. In addition, pochards have a lobed hind toe. No pochard has a metallic colored speculum, something that is characteristic of other ducks.
During breeding season, adult males have a copper head and neck, with a black breast. The back and sides are gray, the belly is white and the rump and tail are black. Male bills are pale blue with a black tip and a thin ring separating the two colors. Non-breeding males lose the copper color and instead have brown heads. The eyes are yellow, one of the most obvious distinctions from canvasback and common pochard, which have red eyes.
Adult females, however, have a yellow to brown head and neck. The breast is brown, the belly is white and the rest of the body is a gray to brown. The female bills are slate with a dark tip that is separated by a blue ring. Females remain the same color year round. The eyes are brown, as in all other Aythya species.