Context: At the Manickapuram tank in the Tiruppur district, an Indian spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) with light plumage was recently spotted.
About:
Large dabbling ducks, such as the Indian spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha), are a non-migratory breeding species found in freshwater wetlands across the Indian subcontinent.
It is differentiated from other birds in flight by its green speculum, which has a wide white band at its base, and by its white tertials, which form a stripe on the side when it is in the water.
This duck lives in freshwater marshes all over Pakistan and India.
They tend to like medium-sized wetlands with vegetation cover over very large open water stretches.
This bird inhabits freshwater lakes and marshes in a comparatively open area, primarily foraging for plant matter throughout the evening and night.
Details
Spot-billed duck males are larger than females, growing to a length of 60 to 65 cm and weighing 1,200 to 1,500 grams.
Women weigh between 800 and 1,350 grams. They have an 80–90 centimeter wingspan.
Its body is patterned with scales, and it bears a strip of white tertials and a green speculum. It’s a grey-brown body.
Females have duller patterns and are browner in color. The bill is dark with a yellow tip.
The base of the male duck’s bill has an orange-red patch.
Habitat
Both inland and coastal wetlands, including ponds, lakes, pools, streams, creeks, estuaries, tidal flats, and marshes, are home to these species of spot-billed ducks.
Feeding practices
Their primary food sources are grasses and other plants. They might occasionally eat insects.
Reproduction
The local rainy season affects the breeding season.
In North India, birds breed from July to October, but in South India, they breed in November and December.
The nest is hidden by plants and constructed close to water. There are eight or twelve eggs visible in the nest.
Areas
Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh are among the Indian Subcontinent’s countries where P. poecilorhyncha subspecies is found. Spread throughout the Assam State of India, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam is the subspecies A. p. haringtoni.
Movement Sequences
Although the majority of these species of spot-billed ducks are stationary, they occasionally move nearby in search of food and water.
Situation and Preservation
This population of ducks is both vast and dispersed. A combined population of 150,000–1,100,000 individuals is estimated for both subspecies. Hunting pressure, habitat deterioration, and hybridization with closely related species are also factors.
These spot-billed duck species have been assessed and classified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), with a “Least Concern” listing.