Mexican Duck

Anas diazi

The Mexican Duck is a beautiful bird with a shiny green head and a soft brown body. They love to swim in ponds and eat plants and small insects. These ducks are friendly and can often be seen in groups!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Mexican Duck is a medium-sized dabbling duck with an overall dark brown, mottled body. It has a bright yellow-orange bill with a dark tip, especially noticeable on males. Unlike the similar Mallard, it lacks a distinct white border around its blue-green wing patch.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusAnas

Mexican Duck

Interesting facts

Mexican Ducks were once thought to be the same species as the Mallard!

Newly hatched ducklings can swim and find their own food within hours!

These ducks can live in cool mountain wetlands, high above sea level!

They often build their nests well-hidden in tall reeds right at the water's edge.

Special abilities

Mexican Duck has mottled brown feathers that help them blend perfectly with wetland plants and reeds.

Mexican Duck tips upside-down in shallow water to reach submerged food without fully diving.

Mexican Duck can live comfortably in mountain wetlands, adapting to cooler, thinner air.

Measurements & details

Length: 51-56 cm
Wingspan: 81-91 cm
Weight: 0.8-1.2 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 80 km/h
Clutch Size: 7-12
Incubation: 22-26 days

Diet & Feeding

These omnivores eat a mix of plants and small creatures found in wetland waters.

Primary Foods

aquatic plant seeds
aquatic plant leaves
aquatic insects
larvae
small crustaceans

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Coyote

Canis latrans

Preys on adult ducks and ducklings.

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Raids nests for eggs and ducklings.

eaten by

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Hunts ducklings and juvenile ducks.

shelters

Broadleaf Cattail

Typha latifolia

Provides dense cover for nests and young.

eats

Longleaf Pondweed

Potamogeton nodosus

Consumes seeds, leaves, and stems from this plant.

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.

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.