| White-backed Duck |
Website Links For Duck |
Information AboutWhite-backed Duck |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT WHITE-BACKED DUCK | |
| anatidae | |
| subfamilies of birds | |
| genera of birds | |
| birds of africa | |
| endemic fauna of madagascar | |
| birds of kenya | |
| birds of senegal | |
| birds of chad | |
| birds of ethiopia | |
| ducks | |
The White-backed Duck (''Thalassornis leuconotus'') is a Waterbird of the family Anatidae . It is distinct from all other ducks, but most closely related to the Whistling Duck s in the subfamily Dendrocygninae , though also showing some similarities to the Stiff-tailed Duck s in the subfamily Oxyurinae (family Anatidae ). It is the only member of the genus ''Thalassornis'', ( Eyton , 1838 ). These Bird s are well adapted for diving. On occasions they have been observed to stay under water for up to half a minute. They search especially for the bulbs of Waterlilies . White-backed Ducks live in southern Africa, especially between Senegal and Chad in the west and Ethiopia and South Africa in the east. Their habitat consists of lakes, ponds, swamps and marshes where they are well camouflaged against predators. There are two subspecies, ''Thalassornis leuconotus leuconotus'' and ''Thalassornis leuconotus insularis''. The latter lives entirely on Madagascar and is considered to be endangered by hunting, habitat loss and the introduction of competing exotic species. |
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