Appearance:

In all plumages distinguished by blue or purple speculum boldly framed in white. Male: metallic green head, brown breast, grey body and yellow bill. Female: brownish with dark speckles. Bill with variable, uneven orange markings on sides. Differs from Gadwall and Pintail by being noticeably more heavily built.

Sound:

Female: A distinct coarse, laughing quacking; "haaa ha ha ha ha ha", with first note accented and then descending in pitch. Male: a more silent, very nasal "rriib". Display call a high-pitched short whistle.

Female:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Stein Ø. Nilsen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Smaller and more delicate than Crane. Front of neck and chest black, with long plumes. Immatures show only faint black markings on neck and head. Upper wing lacks pale patch close to alula, and show little contrast between secondary and primary coverts. Easily mistaken for Crane in flight if black chest is not visible. Identification by call then helpful. Wing beats significantly faster than in Crane.

Sound:

Recalls Crane but timbre very dry, almost rasping and pitch higher.

Call:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-sound:Oscar Campbell, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:yann coatanéa, Licence,Link.