birding...

Mute Swan Cygnus olor © Ashley Beolens The family Anatidae comprises about 140 species of birds and includes the swans, geese and ducks. This is a widespread and familiar group often known collectively as wildfowl. They are highly successful, occurring throughout the world wherever there is water, from inside the Arctic Circle to the tropics. Part of their success is due to their enormous diversity; they range in size range from huge Whooper Swans, down to Teal and even tinier pigmy-geese. They exploit a wide range of ecological niches for, while all wildfowl are competent swimmers, some, such as geese and wigeon feed extensively on land, while others, particularly diving ducks, obtain all their food underwater and are consequently quite clumsy on their feet. These differences underlie the success that wildfowl have had in exploiting the enormous range of ecological niches which are provided by diverse wetland habitats. This adaptability extends to their breeding cycle, for some species such as Goldeneye and Mandarins will happily set up home in a nest box high in a tree, while others such as the Shelduck often nest underground in an old rabbit burrow or fox earth. Indeed, I have seen a pair of Shelduck hatch a brood of young in an occupied fox earth alongside a vixen with three cubs, supporting the old view of the unpalatability of Shelduck to both man and beast! In many ways, ducks are all things to all birdwatchers; drakes in full breeding plumage are boldly marked, brightly coloured, ostentatious and generally easy to identify. Females are more subtle, cryptically patterned with browns and fawns, cautious and reclusive in behaviour when nesting, courageous and determined when shepherding broods of ducklings across a landscape filled with predators. For many children ‘feeding the ducks’ is their earliest introduction to birds in their environment. These birds can be very tame and approachable, allowing an easy appreciation of their bright plumage and raucous voices. But sadly wildfowl often receive a mixed reception amongst older birdwatchers. While many happily enjoy their brightness and accessibility, there are those who feel their enjoyment compromised by the possibility that the rare and gorgeous creature before them may only be at temporary liberty from some captive collection. It is difficult to ignore the risk of escapes, but at the end of the day the ‘rare and gorgeous creature’ is a living breathing entity and should be enjoyed for its intrinsic beauty rather than its arbitrary status. For me, the appeal of wildfowl is as much in their complex lives as in the subtleties of their plumage. They have intricate social lives and many mate for life; they migrate over vast distances to lands I will never see, and inhabit some of the last truly wild places in our shrinking world and encourage me to spend time there. Every one I see carries a message reminding me of our collective past and of our hopes for the future, encapsulated in colours and shapes which are the very essence of style and beauty. According to the IOC there are 164 species of ducks, geese & swans forming the family Anatidae; they are: White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata Black-bellied Whistling Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Spotted Whistling Duck Dendrocygna guttata West Indian Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arborea Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Plumed Whistling Duck Dendrocygna eytoni Wandering Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arcuata Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae Swan Goose Anser cygnoides Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus Greylag Goose Anser anser Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Ross's Goose Chen rossii Emperor Goose Chen canagica Canada Goose Branta canadensis Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii Nene Branta sandvicensis Brant Goose Branta bernicla Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba Black Swan Cygnus atratus Black-necked Swan Cygnus melancoryphus Mute Swan Cygnus olor Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa Blue Duck Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos Flying Steamer Duck Tachyeres patachonicus Fuegian Steamer Duck Tachyeres pteneres Falkland Steamer Duck Tachyeres brachypterus Chubut Steamer Duck Tachyeres leucocephalus Torrent Duck Merganetta armata Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis Comb Duck Sarkidiornis sylvicola Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos Blue-winged Goose Cyanochen cyanoptera Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Orinoco Goose Neochen jubata Andean Goose Chloephaga melanoptera Upland Goose Chloephaga picta Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida Ashy-headed Goose Chloephaga poliocephala Ruddy-headed Goose Chloephaga rubidiceps Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna Raja Shelduck Tadorna radjah Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea South African Shelduck Tadorna cana Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus Salvadori's Teal Salvadorina waigiuensis Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata White-winged Duck Asarcornis scutulata Hartlaub's Duck Pteronetta hartlaubii Wood Duck Aix sponsa Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata African Pygmy Goose Nettapus auritus Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus Green Pygmy Goose Nettapus pulchellus Brazilian Teal Amazonetta brasiliensis Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys Crested Duck Lophonetta specularioides Bronze-winged Duck Speculanas specularis Cape Teal Anas capensis Gadwall Anas strepera Falcated Duck Anas falcata Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope American Wigeon Anas americana African Black Duck Anas sparsa American Black Duck Anas rubripes Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Hawaiian Duck Anas wyvilliana Laysan Duck Anas laysanensis Philippine Duck Anas luzonica Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata Meller's Duck Anas melleri Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera Cape Shoveler Anas smithii Red Shoveler Anas platalea Australasian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Bernier's Teal Anas bernieri Sunda Teal Anas gibberifrons Andaman Teal Anas albogularis Grey Teal Anas gracilis Chestnut Teal Anas castanea Auckland Teal Anas aucklandica Campbell Teal Anas nesiotis Brown Teal Anas chlorotis White-cheeked Pintail Anas bahamensis Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha Speckled Teal Anas flavirostris Andean Teal Anas andium Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica Northern Pintail Anas acuta Eaton's Pintail Anas eatoni Garganey Anas querquedula Baikal Teal Anas formosa Eurasian Teal Anas crecca Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis Silver Teal Anas versicolor Puna Teal Anas puna Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Rosy-billed Pochard Netta peposaca Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma Canvasback Aythya valisineria Redhead Aythya americana Common Pochard Aythya ferina Hardhead Aythya australis Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Greater Scaup Aythya marila Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri King Eider Somateria spectabilis Common Eider Somateria mollissima Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi Black Scoter Melanitta nigra American Scoter Melanitta americana Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica Smew Mergellus albellus Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus Common Merganser Mergus merganser Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Andean Duck Oxyura ferruginea Lake Duck Oxyura vittata Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala Musk Duck Biziura lobata

family links

Ducks, Gees & Swans Anatidae http://www.jawgp.org/anet Please find the activities of the Network and information on Anatidae populations and their habitats in the Flyway. It is helpful if you may offer us further useful information for enhancing the activities of the Network. Thank you for your attention. Ducks, Gees & Swans Anatidae http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/chordata/aves/anseriformes/anatidae.html An annotated list of 40 species Ducks, Gees & Swans Anatidae http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/winkler/botw/anatidae.html Super family account... Ducks, Gees & Swans Anatidae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatidae Super family account with pass

species links

Bean Geese Anser fabalis http://www.bean-geese.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Bean Geese were once the most common of the grey geese to visit Scotland in winter. At the turn of the century however their numbers started to decline sharply and they are now uncommon... Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/b/bewicksswan/index.asp Species account with images etc. and UK status... Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cygnus_atratus.html Full species account with references, image etc... Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://www.arthurgrosset.com/otherbirds/blackswan.html Image & notes Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/picpages/pic27-12-5.html Brilliant image Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://www.natur-lexikon.com/Texte/HWG/001/00051/HWG00051.html Excellent images and notes [in German]... Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://pdubois.free.fr/espece.php?MyEspece=CYGATR Excellent images and notes [in French]... Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://aves.desdeinter.net/cisnneg02.htm [Poor] image Black Swan Cygnus atratus http://www.tierenzyklopaedie.de/tiere/trauerschwan.html Image and notes [in German]... Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/black-headedduck.html This bird is normally found in Southern South America, mainly Chile and Argentina, but is a winter (i.e. July) migrant to southern Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia... Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://whozoo.org/Anlife99/marlamon/blnkswanindex.html Image simplistic profile... Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Swans/BRKBkNeck.html Very good images... Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/black-neckedswan.html Images & notes Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://www.falklands.net/BirdGuideBlackNeckedSwan.shtml Drawn image and brief profile... Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-13.html Sound recording... Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://www.zonianlady.com/b_n_swan/b_n_swan.html Excellent images... Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha http://www.members.carol.net/~jmaloney/animal162.htm Image Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Blue-billed+duck+vulnerable+species+listing Why these birds are under threat Canada Goose Branta canadensis http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/cdngoose.htm Species account... Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae http://www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/SJON-5738Q8?open The Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) is a handsome bird about the same size as a domestic goose. Its plumage is pale grey, with black markings near the tips of its wing feathers and tail. It has pink legs and black feet. Its most striking feature is the bright greenish yellow cere on its short black bill... Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/coscoroba%20swan.html This bird is normally found in Southern South America, mainly Argentina and southern Brazil but is a winter (i.e. July) migrant further north to about the Tropic of Capricorn... Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/coscoroba%20swan.html Images and notes... Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-17.html Image and references. Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-17.html Image and references. Coscoroba Swan Coscoroba coscoroba http://www.sch.im/wlp/pages/coscoroba%20swan%201.htm Image and notes... Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/egyptian-goose.htm Television wildlife programmes of African big game crowding water-holes regularly feature passing shots of birds. And the most regularly portrayed is the Egyptian goose introduced to this country three centuries ago... Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/e/egyptiangoose/index.asp Profile with image etc. Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freckled_Duck The Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa) is a moderately large, broad-bodied duck native to southern Australia. It is rare, and though protected by law, classified as endangered. Dark in colour with fine off-white speckles all over, it is most easily identified by its large head with a peaked (as opposed to rounded) crown... Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-34.html Image & Notes Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au/birds/species/freckled_duck.htm Images Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Freckled+duck+vulnerable+species+listing Vulnerable species listing Fulvous whistling-duck Dendrocygna bicolor http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i1780id.html Facts & figures... Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris http://greenlandwhitefront.homestead.com Nearly twenty years have now passed since the introduction of a moratorium on the shooting of Greenland White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons flavirostris in Ireland and its protection from hunting in Scotland. The excellent collaboration between a wide range of enthusiasts, non-government organisations and government departments since that time has enabled regular winter counts to monitor the changes in abundance of the entire population. Over this period, the status of individual flocks and of the population as a whole has changed radically and there has been considerable interest in the patterns of such changes and their causes... Greylag Geese Anser anser http://www.premier-pages.co.uk/fowl/greylag.htm The goose observed by those who prefer killing them to preserving them! Without doubt the great grey geese are the wildfowler's most prized quarry. There are men who derive great satisfaction from hunting mallard or wigeon or teal but there must be few for whom the excitement is not doubled when straining ears pick up the music of approaching geese. Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida http://www.falklands.net/BirdGuideKelpGoose.shtml Species account... Lake Duck Oxyura vittata http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/lake%20duck.html Image with notes Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Dendrocygna_javanica.htm Images - Called whistling ducks because of their call, they are also sometimes called tree ducks because they sometimes nest in tree holes!... Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/maccoa.htm Maccoas are bottom feeders and so are found in shallow bodies of water. They dive to sift the bottom mud for small invertebrates, plant debris and seeds. They are shy and reluctant to take flight tending to submerge when alarmed. Males are aggressively territorial during the breeding season and will chase rivals from their group. They are generally silent birds but the mating call of the male sounds remarkably like a burp! Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1680id.html Species account... Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica http://home.earthlink.net/~glasley/maskduck.html Excellent images and notes Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica http://www.texasbirding.net/birds/maskduck.htm Images & notes Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/wcs/040530.HTM Status in Belize Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica http://members.tripod.com/~tbrc/maskduck.htm Images Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica http://www.southfloridabirding.com/html/masked_duck.htm Image Musk Duck Biziura lobata http://mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-158.html Image Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cygnus_olor.html Comprehensive species account with image & references Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1782id.html Full species account with images... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.univ-lehavre.fr/cybernat/pages/cygne.htm Images & notes [in French]... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.arthurgrosset.com/europebirds/mute%20swan.html Images and notes... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.charlesfindlay.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Micro study in one area of UK... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://doon.mayo-ireland.ie/mswan.html Status in Ireland... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/muteswans.html US status and essay on this non-native species... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/peter.friesen/default.asp?go=875 Old etching and notes from Bewick... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.faunistik.net/BSWT/AVES/ANSERIFORMES/CYGNIDAE/CYGNUS/cygnus.olor_01.html Image and notes [in German]... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.natur-lexikon.com/Texte/HWG/001/00018/HWG00018.html Excellent image and notes [in Dutch] Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/birds/1615_12.htm [Painted] image Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.les-snats.com/fiches/cygnus_olor.html Some very sharp images... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.vzi.de/p/z3/schwhoc.htm [Painted] image and notes [in German] Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.nenature.com/muteswan.htm Brief profile with range maps in US and excellent image... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/infocus/muteswan.asp Management plan in Maryland, USA... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/picpages/pic27-11-1.html Image... Mute Swan Cygnus olor http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/m/muteswan/index.asp Species profile and status in the UK... Nene Branta sandvicensis http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=383 This inhabitant of Hawaii is an endangered bird that has made a rebound in the 1990s. Today the birds are genetically similar creating inbreeding that can harm their chance of survival in the long run... Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus http://www.arthurgrosset.com/europebirds/pink-footedgoose.html There are three breeding areas in the world for Pink-footed Geese: Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard to the north of Norway. During the winter the populations of Greenland and Iceland migrate to Scotland and Northern England while the population of Svalbard migrates to the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark... Pink-Footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/pink-footed-goose.htm The pink-footed geese wintering in Britain breed in Iceland and East Greenland. Egg-laying commences in mid-May. Favoured nest sites are snow-free hummocks and banks safely above post-thaw floods. Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/p/pinkfootedgoose/index.asp Profile & UK Status... Pintail Anas acuta http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i1430id.html Pintail facts & figures... Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis http://www.arthurgrosset.com/europebirds/red-breastedgoose.html The Red-breasted Goose is classified as VULNERABLE by Birdlife International. Although the population was estimated at 88,000 in 1996, it comes under pressure from the intensification of agriculture in its winter feeding grounds such as Bulgaria and elsewhere round the Black Sea where it can be regarded as a pest... Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1670id.html Full species account Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/guide/html/erismature_e.html ID guide with many illustrations etc. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nsbirds/bns0081.htm Profile with image Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/r/ruddyduck/index.asp Profile with image Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://wildspace.ec.gc.ca/life.cfm?ID=RUDU&Lang=e Brief life history with image Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://www.audubon.org/bird/BoA/F39_G5e.html John Audubon's original species account & image... Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Ruddy%20Duck Excellent image with profile Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bioeco/rudduck.htm N American esturine status Smew http://www.uksafari.com/smew.htm Image & info... Snow Goose Anser caerulescens http://www.thewildones.org/SFC/Seana/rebecca.html Species account... Swan Goose Anser cygnoides http://www.jawgp.org/anet/anl003d.htm Importance of Torey Lakes for Swan Goose in Russia... Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/bean-goose.htm Images, account and UK status... Torrent ducks Merganetta armata http://birdingaltoandino.com/torrent%20duck.htm Torrent ducks are breeding residents of the cold mountain streams of the Lauca area and always a treat to watch... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://raysweb.net/specialplaces/pages/swan.html Trumpeters are the rarest swan in the world. They used to be abundant in North America but by the early 1900s, they were nearly extinct... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/birds/trumpet.htm Status, account & notes in British Colombia... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cygnus_buccinator.html Full species account with images etc... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://digitalsportsman.com/wetlands/TSwan1.htm Image & notes... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/trswans.htm Status in California... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/trumswan.htm Sketch & notes... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.wyemarsh.com/trumpeter.html Status at Wye Marsh... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/angling/protalk/thornton/trumpeter.phtml Conservation essay... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://whyfiles.org/015species_restore/swan.html Essay with images... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/wrg/Laverne/webpages/OtherTrumpeterSwanWebsites.html List of links to other trumpeter swan websites... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/Wildlife/kpswans.html Viewing in Alaska... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Trswanprintout.shtml Simple account for youngsters... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i1810id.html Most comprehensive species account... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.osage.net/~mccb/trumpeterswan.html Restoration project and webcam... Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/factsheets/birds/swan.htm Species account with image etc... Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/swan/ Tracking movements - with stunning image too, as well as maps and essay... Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Birds/MMMN/English/a_tundraswan.html Species account... Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i1800id.html Comprehensive species account with image etc... Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus http://www.kwic.com/~pagodavista/schoolhouse/species/birds/tundswan.htm Species account... images etc. Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-16.html Photos, videos and sound recordings... Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus - Alma Tundra Swan Watch http://www.mwt.net/~swanalma/ The Alma Tundra Swan Watch website provides information on the Tundra Swan migration through Rieck's Lake in Alma, Wisconsin. Upland Goouse Chloephaga picta leucoptera http://www.falklands.net/BirdGuideUplandGoose.shtml Species account White-faced Whistling-duck Dendrocygna viduata http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/white-faced%20whistling-duck.html (Excellent) Image - This bird is normally found in tropical South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It does not migrate across the Atlantic Ocean so the separation may have taken place when the two continents were much closer together or it may have been a small group of birds colonising one continent from the other. The fact that they can travel some distance is borne out by some records in Spain... White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala http://www.ornithologiki.gr/en/oiwnos/i8/enkefalu.htm Profile with image White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-154.html Sound recordings White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala http://www.borealforest.org/world/birds/white_headed_duck.htm Image and profile... Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/whooper-swan.htm For many years whoopers were considered almost exclusively hard weather arrivals. But in recent winters impressive numbers have favoured Norfolk. Close to the Thurne Broads the swans are first attracted to cleared sugarbeet, potato and stubble fields before changing to marsh grasses from mid-winter onwards... Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/w/whooperswan/index.asp The whooper swan is a large white swan, bigger than a Bewick's swan. It has a long thin neck, which it usually holds erect, and black legs... Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus http://www.arthurgrosset.com/europebirds/whooperswan.html Whooper Swans breed in Iceland and the north of Europe and Asia. They migrate south in the winter to west and central Europe, to around the Black, Aral and Caspian Seas and to China and Japan... Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/CAlistWHSW.html Images & notes... Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Swans/BRKWhooper.html OK Pictures Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec27-15.html Images & sound recordings...

contributor

Norman McCanch
(Kent, UK)
http://www.normanmccanch.co.uk

numbers

Number of bird species: 164

useful reading

A Natural History of the Ducks

Atlas of Anatidae Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia

Bewick's Swan

Ducks, Geese & Swans of North America

Ducks, Geese & Swans

Flight Identification of European Seabirds

The Calls of Ducks and Geese

The Mute Swan

The Snow Geese

The Status and Conservation of the Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris

The Wood Duck and the Mandarin

Whooper Swan

Wildfowl

clubs

Atlantic Flyway Eastern Tundra Swan Project

Brown Teal Anas chlorotis Conservation

Harlequin Duck Eastern Canada Population

International Goose Research Group

Trumpter Swan Society

other links

Flight Identification of European Seabirds

Waterfowl ID

artists

Black Swan Cygnus atratus

Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha

Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha

Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha

Kelp Goose Chloephaga hybrida

Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

Ruddy-headed Goose Chloephaga rubidiceps

Swan Goose Anser cygnoides

Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis

Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator

Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus

Upland Goose Chloephaga picta

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus