Appearance:

Description of main identification features in chosen species' appearance.  Some bird anatomy terms are used, and it may be useful to study the photos above to learn them. All text written by Audun Eriksen.

Sound:

Description of song and calls, and what to listen for in the audio files, and when learning the species. Some music terminology is used. Timbre: tone colour or tone quality. Ritardando: Tempo slowing down gradually. Register break: abrupt change in pitch due to sudden jump in resonating length of throat (typically in long-necked birds).

Distribution:

Link to distribution maps

Ecology:

Link to webpage describing ecology and population of the species.

Links:

A collection of hyperlinks for each species can be found here. You can easily see latest observations, additional photos/sounds and watch videos of the species without having to search for the species name.

CC

Creative Commons licenced photos and sounds are listed here with links. For media not listed, usage is permitted by direct appointment with copyright owner. See watermark on photos.

Appearance:

Medium sized dabbling duck. Male with grey plumage, mottled breast, black rump and vent lacking white framing. Female brown and easily overlooked and confused with female Mallards. Bill with dark center and evenly broad orange sides. Plumage more greyish than female mallard, with a more slender body and steeper forehead. Diagnostic white wingbars and contrasting white belly in all plumages.

Sound:

Males display-call a short dry rattling or croaking sound and some high whistling notes. Female quacking similar to Mallard, but drier and shriller.

Display-call:

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

CC-photo:Smudge 9000, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Ján Svetlík, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Patrik Åberg, Licence,Link.