Masked Duck

Nomonyx dominicusOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: MADU Scientific Name: NOMDOM ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554350

Breeding Location:

Wetlands

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Rare in North America

Egg Color:

White or buff

Number of Eggs:

4 - 10

Incubation Days:

23 - 24

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

In grassy vegetation, lined with few down feathers.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Masked Duck: Small stifftail duck with black-tipped blue bill and black mask with thin white eye-ring. Body is rufous-brown with black streaks on back and sides; white wing patches are visible in flight. Female is mottled brown overall with paler face, and dark cap, eyestripe, and cheek stripe; bill is blue-gray. Juvenile has paler face and is finely barred gray-brown overall. Winter male is similar to juvenile but has browner face.

Range and Habitat

Masked Duck: Found primarily in the tropics and neotropics with populations throughout Mexico. Strays to Texas where it has bred. Multiple records for Louisiana and Florida, single records for several other eastern U.S. states. Inhabits marshy ponds with heavy vegetation, often found in rice fields.

Breeding and Nesting

Masked Duck: Presumably monogamous. Female builds roofed-over or deep cup nest in vegetation near water, lined with few down feathers. Clutch size is four to ten white or buff eggs incubated by female for 23 to 24 days. Male stays for a portion of incubation period. Female alone tends precocial young.

Foraging and Feeding

Masked Duck: Feeds on variety of aquatic vegetation and seeds, occasionally insects and crustaceans. Primarily feeds by tipping up, also makes short dives.

Vocalization

Masked Duck: Generally silent. Male display call a long cooing series of notes "kirri, kirroo, kirri, kirroo, kirroo, kirroo, kirrrr." Female gives hissing sound.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Masked Duck

Masked Duck: Small stifftail duck with black-tipped blue bill and black mask with thin white eye-ring. Body is rufous-brown with black streaks on the back and sides; white wing patches are visible in flight. Feeds on aquatic plants, insects and crustaceans. Direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Song: "kirri, kirroo, kirri, kirroo, kirroo, kirroo, kirrrr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Masked Duck: Feeds on variety of aquatic vegetation and seeds, occasionally insects and crustaceans. Primarily feeds by tipping up, also makes short dives.

● Breeding & nesting: Masked Duck: Presumably monogamous. Female builds roofed-over or deep cup nest in vegetation near water, lined with few down feathers. Clutch size is four to ten white or buff eggs incubated by female for 23 to 24 days. Male stays for a portion of incubation period. Female alone tends precocial young.

● Similar species:

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Masked Duck: Found primarily in the tropics and neotropics with populations throughout Mexico. Strays to Texas where it has bred. Multiple records for Louisiana and Florida, single records for several other eastern U.S. states. Inhabits marshy ponds with heavy vegetation, often found in rice fields.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationRare in North America

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight12.8 Ounces

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Masked Duck

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Masked Duck

Flight Pattern