Family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae)
Least Concern
Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata)
Taxonomy
French: Canard à bec jaune German: Gelbschnabelente Spanish: Ánade picolimón
Other common names:
African Yellow-billed Duck
Taxonomy:
Anas undulata
C. F. Dubois
, 1839,Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
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Subspecies and Distribution
A. u. ruppelli
Blyth, 1855 – South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda (no recent records#R) and N Kenya.
A. u. undulata
C. F. Dubois, 1839 – Kenya SW to Angola and N Botswana and S to Western Cape Province (South Africa).
Also (race unknown) E Nigeria and NC Cameroon.
Descriptive notes
51–63 cm; male 533–1310 g, female 600–1123 g. Slightly bulbous-looking head and long, slender neck darker than body, while pale fringes to grey feathers... read more
Voice
Typical A. platyrhynchos-like vocalizations, but “raeb” call of male is more whistle-like... read more
Habitat
Freshwater lakes, reservoirs with marginal vegetation, flooded fields, swamps and marshes, slow-... read more
Food and feeding
Seeds, roots, leaves and stems of both aquatic (Potamogeton) and terrestrial plants; also animal matter, mainly insects and their... read more
Breeding
Season variable, generally coincides with beginning of rains; Jul–Sept in Ethiopia, Jan, Apr–Jul in Kenya, Jun–Jul in... read more
Movements
Mostly sedentary, with generally only small-scale, dispersive movements on record, mainly between... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common and widespread; most abundant duck in many parts of its range, especially in temperate regions, and capable of colonizing new... read more
Traditionally thought to be closely related to A. melleri, A. platyrhynchos and A. rubripes. Has been linked to A. melleri, the two constituting the infragenus Afranus#R. Race ruppelli sometimes spelt rueppelli, but latter emendation of original is not justified. Two subspecies recognized.