Tufted blacken - description, habitat, interesting facts

A clear representative of the duck family is the crested black, which is so called because of the peculiar hairstyle on the head. As the name implies, the bird has a crest - a distinctive feature of the group.

View Features

This duck is not large. The name she received due to the presence of a crest. Otherwise, representatives of the family are called white-sided or nigella, all invented names to one degree or another characterize the appearance.

In order for individuals to comfortably exist and not disappear in terms of numbers, they need a reservoir rich in vegetation. The thing is the ability of ducks to dive well, they can swim under water to a depth of 10 m. This is how birds get food. Therefore, individuals are often found in deep water sources, such as sea open spaces, etc.

When they plunge under water, they can quickly catch fish, shellfish, crustaceans, insects of various nature. When there is nothing to eat, these birds lean on plant food, adding it to their main menu. These birds are diving, but take-offs are given to her only after a run.

Description

1. These individuals prefer to live in cold climatic regions. They are found in the tundra, steppe zones, lead a settled lifestyle and live collectively. Representatives of the family are by nature dives.
2. They stop near the lakes, in marshes, where there is dense vegetation. Most often, birds are found in Siberia and the surrounding territories. It is important for them that the lakes are surrounded by bushes.
3. These ducks reach 50 cm along the length of the hull. As for the weight of the hull, individuals grow up to 0.5-0.7 kg. The individuals are strong along the body, the head is large, the neck is movable, the legs are painted gray.
4. The eyes resemble buttons, the iris is yellowish with bright spots. The beak is gray with a blue tint, it is wide, therefore, when fishing, the bird copes with the task so well and feeds.
5. When the mating season begins, the drakes turn black plumage. White stripes flaunt along the lateral parts, and on the head there is a crest, combed back.
6. Females are not so brightly pigmented during mating games. They have an alternation of black plumage with brownish spots, and whitish reflections are barely visible. Ducks do not have such a long forelock as males.
7. An interesting feature is the fact that this crested duck does not produce quacking typical of the family. The females make sounds like guttural exclamations, and the drakes are more silent. They can occasionally whistle.
8. Ducks are diving, as mentioned earlier. These representatives of the family are compact, they have a white stripe on their wings. There are definitely differences in gender.
9. Males are black with whitish marks, they have an elongated crest. The female, on the contrary, is brownish brown, and her forelock is light. Also, females may have a spot in the beak, but this is not a prerequisite.

Habitat

Individuals of the presented breed group prefer to nest at brackish or freshwater sources. They need vegetation densely located on the edges of the reservoir. They prefer places with decent depth, because these ducks make beautiful dives. At the same time, the water surface should be open so that everything is clearly visible.

Food

1. The presented individuals belong to diving ducks.Such birds are able to spend a long time under water in search of food. Diving occurs with a short jump. Blackening, as it were, throws the neck and head forward. After that, the bird sinks to a depth.
2. Due to the movement of strong paws, individuals fall under water up to 2 m. If the bird does not find anything at this depth, it can dive as much as 14 m. Representatives of the stronger sex are able to stay under water for up to 40 seconds. Under normal food conditions, they dive briefly.
3. The presented individuals on the paws have dense membranes for swimming. The case of such a bird is somewhat reminiscent of the shape of a cigar. In this case, the center of gravity is shifted closer to the rear. The side feathers form side pockets. It is in them that the wings of the wings hide.
4. Thus, the wings remain completely dry during diving. Often snails, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic insects and fish are part of the black diet. Also, the bird feeds on vegetation that grows in water bodies.
5. The presented individuals can feed on various seeds and insect larvae. Individuals collect this kind of food through a wide beak.

Breeding

1. Each year, during nesting, such individuals find a new pair. Birds begin to choose a companion from winter to the end of spring. It often happens that blacks are divided into pairs before leaving for nesting sites.
2. The wedding dance remains an interesting phenomenon. Him, a couple commits together. At such a moment, you will notice that the male makes quite interesting and quiet whistles. Also, the drake begins to bow its head to its second half.
3. At this time, the ducks together pull their beaks forward and begin to shake their heads at the same time. As soon as mating has occurred, the male begins to swim around the chosen one. A place to create a nest of birds is found in mid-spring. And masonry occurs only in May.

Interesting Facts

1. As soon as the black begins to take off, from the wings you can hear a characteristic whistle.
2. It is worth noting that such ducks live in packs. Moreover, it can have up to 1000 individuals.
3. Often black nesting occurs in colonies together with gulls.
4. During mating games and dances, the yellow color of the male’s eyes becomes much brighter and more expressive.

Since the duck family has many representatives, hunters have questions about how to understand who is in front of their eyes. Today you learned everything about blackening.

Video: crested blacken (Aythya fuligula)