ID Keys: Dark brown overall, white cheeks and foreneck,
two-toned orange and black bill. Females and males similar.
The
White-cheeked Pintail is a bird of the tropical Americas, found in South
America and the Caribbean. Occasional sightings of the species occur
in Florida. Sightings also have occurred elsewhere in the United
States, but these are likely escapees from captivity, as the White-cheeked
Pintail is sometimes kept as a domestic bird. They are also sometimes
referred to as the "Bahama Duck" or "Bahama Pintail", and the sub-species
endemic on the Galapagos Islands is sometimes called the "Galapagos
Pintail".
Habitat
Found primarily in coastal areas, using
brackish water more than most dabbling ducks. Habitats include
mangrove swamps, coastal estuaries, and saline ponds and lakes. Will use
freshwater lakes as well, but is less common on those habitats, resulting
in a population distribution skewed towards coastal areas.
Diet
Plant matter makes up a majority of the
diet, including the seeds, roots, shoots, and leaves of aquatic plants, as
well as grasses and sedges. They will also feed on aquatic insects and
their larvae, snails, and small mollusks and crustaceans.
Behavior
A dabbling duck, feeding by dabbling at
the water's surface, or upending with the head under water.
Nesting
The nest of a White-cheeked Pintail is a
depression scraped in the ground, lined with grasses and down, typically
placed near or under a clump of vegetation. The female alone incubates
the eggs, and tends to the young after hatching.
Song
Males make a whistling sound, while females
have a quack.
Migration
Considered a permanent resident
throughout much of their range, although some populations are short-distance
migrants.
There are no major threats to
global White-cheeked Pintail populations, and
the
IUCN considers them a species of "Least Concern". However, hunting
and habitat destruction have resulted in declines in the species from
historical levels.
