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Yellow-Billed Duck
Anas undulata
Yellow billed ducks are roughly the same size as mallards measuring 51 to 58 cm in length. Their plumage is dark grey with white-bordered green speculums and exhibits their iconic bright yellow bill.
Range & Habitat
This species is frequently found in slow moving rivers, pools and adjacent flooded grasslands, marshes, coastal lagoon, seasonal lakes. The species is also found in artificial reservoirs associated with mining, dams, salt pans, sewage works. The species region is South Africa, within Tanzania, Ethopia, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Population trend: Stable. This species has an extremely large range and thus do not approach the classification of Vulnerability.
Threats: The species is susceptible to avian botulism future outbreaks a neuromuscular disease causing to musculoskeletal paralysis. The species is also traded in traditional medicine markets in Nigeria.
Diet
The species has an omnivorous diet, consisting of fruits, seeds, roots, leaves, and eats aquatic insects and their larvae, including water beetles, grasshoppers, and mayflies.
Life Span
Male geese live around 4 years while female geese live a little over 3 years.
Fun Facts about the Yellow-Billed Duck
- This species is mainly sedentary, with only part of the population having nomadic movement patterns. The species is mainly nocturnal, foraging predominantly after dusk.
- In some areas with their regions, yellow billed ducks interbreed with mallard ducks; however, due to this increased hybridization, their genetic fabrication is being lost and their superior traits are being less selected upon.
- The Yellow-billed ducks are preyed upon by tawny eagles and black-backed Jackals.
Sources
Shamim. Bird Baron.Bird Blog Yellow-Billed Duck – Profile | Traits | Facts | Habitat | Breeding. Yellow-Billed Duck - Profile | Traits | Facts | Habitat | Breeding - Bird Baron. Retrieved on August 19, 2021
BirdLife International. 2016. Anas undulata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: Anas undulata (Yellow-billed Duck) (iucnredlist.org). Downloaded on August 19, 2021.
Updated June 13, 2023
Location:
Waterfowl Pond
