Hobbies And Interests
General Information
The yellow-billed duck is native to eastern and southern Africa. There are two varieties, southern and northern, which lives in north-east Africa. The yellow-bill duck is considered the African equivalent of the mallard duck, because it is very similar in its physiology and habitat. Male yellow-bills have a clear, far-carrying whistle, while females make a quacking noise very much like mallards. They are the only ducks in Africa that have yellow bills.
Appearance
The yellow-billed duck is named after its bright yellow bill. They have grey and brown feathers that have a scaled appearance, and bear a distinctive mark on their wings called a speculum. It is metallic green in color with a black and white rim. Northern ducks have darker feathers and a brighter bill than southern ones. A typical yellow-bill duck is 14 inches long and weighs up to 18 ounces. Females are very similar to males in appearance, only slightly smaller and duller in their coloring.
Food and Habitat
It is a dabbling duck, which means that it feeds on vegetable matter floating near the surface of the water and rarely dives under the water. Occasionally, it supplements with larvae and insects as well. It is primarily nocturnal, preferring to do its eating at dusk and into the night. They don't migrate, but they will wonder around in the dry season looking for more food and water sources. Typically, they prefer streams in grassy highlands or estuaries along the coast.
Reproduction
They can live up for 20 to 30 years and reach sexual maturity between one and two years of age. They breed at the beginning of rainy season, which insures the most possible food for the ducklings. Females lay clutches of seven or eight eggs at time, which incubate up to 26 days before hatching. Their nests are bowls of soft grass and feathers, usually within a patch of reeds. The fledgling stage lasts for six weeks.