Maccoa Duck vs White-headed Duck

Maccoa Duck

Oxyura maccoa

Large674 gWetland

As members of the stiff-tailed duck group, Maccoas are often found wading in the water with their tail feathers cocked upwards. As diving ducks, their bodies are specialized for being agile underwater swimmers and thus have sacrificed the characteristics that allow them to move well on land. As a result, their legs are set further back on their bodies which makes them awkward when walking out of water. Voice: When putting on their mating displays, males will often give out short whistles or will produce a prrrr'ing sound for 2 or 3 seconds. When feeling threatened, both males and females will emit low grunts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Christiaan Viljoen · CC BY 4.0

White-headed Duck

Oxyura leucocephala

Large661 gWetland

Adult males have a grey and reddish body, a blue bill and a largely white head with a black cap and neck. Adult females have a grey-brown body with a white face and a darker bill, cap, and cheek stripe. Length is 43–48 cm (17–19 in) and weight is 580–750 g (1.28–1.65 lb).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Maccoa Duck and White-headed Duck.