Rosy - Billed Pochard

The Rosy-billed Pochard comes from the species peposaca-derived from a Guaraní word for ¨showy wings¨ The wings feature a broad white stripe that is only visible when stretched out. Male ducks have a distinctive red bill, while the female´s is slate-colored. Though classified as a diving duck, this pochard feeds more like a dabbling duck. The Rosy-bill is genetically linked to the Canvasback and the females of both species are similar. The drakes are adorned in shades of black and white, with a flaming red bill featuring a fleshy knob at the base. The Rosy-billed Pochard is endemic to South America. The population in southern Argentina migrates nortward during the austral winter, reaching Brazil and southern Bolivia. It is a vagrant to the Falkland Islands.

Brazilian Duck

The Brazilian Teal or Brazilian Duck is the only duck in the genus Amazonetta. It was formerly considered a ¨perching duck¨, but more recent analyses indicate that it belongs to a clan of South American dabbling ducks which also includes the Crested Duck, the Bronze-winged Duck, and possibly the Steamer Ducks. The Ducks are light brown in colour. Drakes distinguish themselves from females in having red beaks and legs, and in having a distinctive pale grey area on the side of its head and neck. The colour of these limbs is much duller in female. Brazilian Teal live in pairs or in small groups of up to twenty birds. Both parents look after their hatchlings.

Cinnamon Teal

The Cinnamon Teal is a small, reddish, dabbling duck found in the marshes and ponds of western North America and South America. Adult males have a cinnamon red head, a brown back, red eyes, and a dark bill. Adult females have mottled brown bodies, a pel brown head, brown eyes, and a grey bill. They are similar in appearance to female Blue-winged Teals; however, their overall color is richer, and the lore spot, eye line, and eye ring are less distinct. Their bill is also longer and flatter. Male jueveniles resemble female Cinnamon or Bluewinged teals, but their eyes are red.

Fulvous Whistling Duck

The Fulvous Whistling Duck, is a duck which breeds across the world’s tropical regions in much of Central and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. The Fulvous Whistling Duck is a common but wary species. It is largely resident, apart from local movements, but vagrancy has occurred to southern Europe. It nests on a stick platform in reeds, laying 8-12 eggs, but hollow trees or old bird nests are occasionally used for nesting. Its habitat is freshwater lakes, paddy fields or reservoirs with plentiful vegetation, where this duck feeds mainly at night on seeds and other parts of plants.

Red Shoveler

The Red Shoveler is found in Southern America, Argentina, Southern Peru, Southern Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Southern Brazil, and Chile. In winter the southernmost birds migrate north to Brazil and Peru. The Red Shoveler is cinnamon in color with dark spots and a green speculum. The head and neck are grayish. They have a large dark spatula-shaped bill.

Ringed Teal

The Ringed Teal is a small duck found in South America. It is the only species of the genus Callonetta. Usually categorized with dabbling ducks (Anatinae), this species may be closer to shelducks and belong to the subfamily Tadorninae. Males and female remain colorful through the year, lacking an eclipse plumage. The drake has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks, and a salmon - colored breast with black speckles. A black band runs from the top of its head down to the nape. Females have an olive brownish back barring on a pale chest and belly. Both have dark tails, a contrasting pale rump, and a distintictive white patch on the wing. Bills are grey and legs and feet are pink in both sexes. Pairs easily bond. Their calls are a cat-like ¨meowing¨ in hens, a lingering ¨peewoo¨ in drakes.

Silver Teal

The Silver Teal’s range includes southern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, and the Falkland Islands. The Southernmost birds migrate to southern Brazil in the winter. Silver Teals are generally placid ducks but are protective of eggs, their young, and females. They have a black cap that extends below the eyes, and a bluish bill with a yellow tip. They also have a green speculum with a white border.

Southern Wigeon

The Chiloe or Southern Wigeon is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. Unlike other wigeons, the sexes appear similar (although males are slightly brighter) and pairs are monogamous. This bird has a metallic green black and white and its sides are orange-brown. It has white cheeks, a white forehead, and white on its wings. These ducks are found in southern South America on freshwater lakes, marshes, lagoons, and slow flowing rivers. They breeds in the Falkland Islands, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, and migrate to southeastern Brazil for winter.

Speckled Teal

Similar to other teals, Speckled Teal belong to the diverse genus Anas. More precisely, they are one of the ¨true¨ teals of subgenus Nettion. Their DNA sequence is similar to the Green-winged Teal althought the two species share little outward resemblance. Apart from its relationship with red and green headed teals, Speckled Teals closely resemble Indian Ocean Teals, but their uni-colored underside and namesake bill are unique.

White-Faced Whistling Duck

The White-faced Whistling Duck, is a duck which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America. This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear three-note whistling call. This species has a long grey bill, long head and longish legs. It has a white face and crown, and black rear head. The black and wings are dark brown to black, and the underparts are black, although the flanks have fine white barring. The neck is chestnut. All plumages are similar, except that juveniles have a much less contrasted head pattern.

White-Cheeked Pintail

The White-cheeked Pintail, is a dabbling duck of the Caribbean and South America. Like many southern ducks, the sexes are similar. It is mainly brown with white cheeks and a red-based grey bill (young birds lack the pink). It cannot be confused with any other duck in its range. The White-cheeked Pintail is the court jester of South American ducks, with the brightest costume of all. Its overall color is cinnamon, but the cinnamon body features a creamy white trim package that extends from low on the throat to the base of a red bill, all edged in turquoise iridescence. Wings are blackish in hue, with a green speculum that contrasts with the red bill.

Yellow-Billed Pintail

The Yellow-billed Pintail has a brown head and neck. The bill is yellow with a black tip and a black stripe down the middle. The tail is brownish and pointed. The upper wing is grayish-brown, and the secondaries are blackish-green. The rest of the body is buffish brown with varying size black spots. The species is sometimes confused with Speckled Teal, but can be differentiated by the yellow stripes on its bill and its larger size. They hide their nests in vegetation close to water. They lay 4 to 10 eggs in a clutch.