Stiff-tailed duck
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For extinct and fossil species, see text. |
The stiff-tailed ducks are part of the Oxyurinae subfamily of ducks. All have, as their name implies, long stiff tail feathers, which are erected when the bird is at rest. All have relatively large swollen bills.
These are freshwater diving ducks. Their legs are set far back, making them awkward on land, so they rarely leave the water.
Their unusual displays involve drumming noises from inflatable throat-sacs, head throwing, and erecting short crests.
Plumage sequences are complicated, and aging difficult.
Species:
- Blue-billed Duck, Oxyura australis
- New Zealand Stiff-tailed Duck, Oxyura vantetsi (prehistoric)
- Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis
- White-headed Duck, Oxyura leucocephala
- Maccoa Duck, Oxyura maccoa
- Argentine Blue-bill, Oxyura vittata
A fossil species from the Middle Pleistocene of the southwestern USA was described as Oxyura bessomi; it was probably related to the Ruddy Duck.
