ExploreBirds

Anas flavirostris oxyptera

The Yellow-billed Duck is a beautiful bird with a bright yellow bill. It loves to swim in lakes and rivers, making it a fun sight to see while exploring nature!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Anas flavirostris oxyptera has a distinctive bright yellow bill with a black tip and a dark brown crown contrasting with pale cheeks. Its body plumage is mottled brown, appearing duller than some related ducks, and it features an iridescent green patch on its secondary wing feathers.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusAnas

Anas flavirostris oxyptera

Interesting facts

Its bright yellow bill helps it stand out against the rocky, high-altitude landscapes it calls home.

Puna Teals sometimes feed by "dabbling," tipping their bodies to reach underwater plants.

They are adapted to cold mountain temperatures and can often be seen swimming in icy waters.

This duck often makes its nest hidden amongst dense vegetation near the water's edge.

Special abilities

Anas flavirostris oxyptera can thrive in thin air because it lives at very high elevations in the Andes mountains.

Anas flavirostris oxyptera can dive and search for food underwater, helping them find tasty plants and invertebrates.

Anas flavirostris oxyptera has strong wings that help them fly quickly across vast distances between high-altitude lakes.

Measurements & details

Length: 35-45 cm
Wingspan: 58-67 cm
Weight: 0.35-0.5 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Clutch Size: 4-8
Incubation: 24-26 days

Diet & Feeding

These ducks eat a mix of aquatic plants and tiny insects found in their mountain water homes.

Primary Foods

aquatic plants
seeds
aquatic insects
small crustaceans
mollusks

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eats

Streaked Pondweed

Potamogeton striatus

Consumes its leaves and seeds as a food source.

eats

Bloodworm

Chironomus plumosus

Feeds on the larvae of this common midge species.

eaten by

Andean Fox

Lycalopex culpaeus

Can be prey for this opportunistic high-altitude predator.

eaten by

Variable Hawk

Buteo polyosoma

Juveniles or adults may be hunted by this powerful raptor.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.