Falcated Duck
Falcated Duck
Mareca falcata
At a Glance
This Asian duck, formerly called Falcated Teal, is a very rare stray into western Alaska. Sightings elsewhere in North America are likely to refer to escapes from captivity.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Duck-like Birds, Surface Feeding Ducks
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North
Behavior
Direct Flight, Rapid Wingbeats, Swimming
Range & Identification
Description
19" (48.5 cm). Male has mostly gray body, large squarish head patterned with chestnut and green. Long, curved (or falcate) tertial feathers hang down past tail. Female drab and brown, with squarish head; resembles female Gadwall but has black bill.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Mallard or Herring Gull
Color
Blue, Brown, Gray, Green, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Short
Songs and Calls
Male utters low-pitched, trilled whistle; female quacks much like Gadwall.
Call Pattern
Flat, Simple
Call Type
Croak/Quack, Whistle
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