General

Falcated Duck: Medium-sized dabbling duck named for long, black and white, sickle-shaped (falcated) tertial feathers extending over black rump. Body white, black, gray in finely-scaled pattern; bolder on breast. Crested iridescent head is green and purple-brown. Throat is white with black ring; black tail and black-green speculum are both edged in white. Bill is black; top of base has small white spot. Female has scaled brown appearance overall with paler belly, gray bill, slight crest, short tertials, and no bill spot. Juvenile resembles female but is a paler buff-brown.

Range and Habitat

Falcated Duck: Breeds and winters in southeastern Asia but strongly migratory. Birds seen in North America beyond Alaska may be escaped captives from private collections or wild birds. Favors wetlands, lakes, ponds, rivers, estuaries, and marshes. Near-threatened in the wild. Most U.S. sightings occur between Pacific and Californian coasts, Baja peninsula, Mexico, India, and Canada.

Breeding and Nesting

Falcated Duck: Six to ten creamy white eggs are laid in nest built on ground, near water, under cover of tall, dense vegetation. Nest typically made of grasses and forbs and lined with down. Hen incubates eggs for about 26 days, sometimes assisted by male.

Foraging and Feeding

Falcated Duck: Eats aquatic plants, seeds, and roots, but also occasionally takes snails, insects, small fish and frogs. Generally a surface feeder or dabbler but will sometimes tip or upend to feed or, more rarely, may dive. Sometimes grazes on land on forbs and grasses. Prefers marshy areas, ponds, estuaries, quiet rivers, and shallow coastal bays.

Vocalization

Falcated Duck: Utters a clear, low-pitched, trilled whistle.

Similar Species

Falcated Duck: Green-winged Teal is smaller, has chestnut head with a green ear patch bordered in white, and a buff breast.