Hartlaub's Duck

Taxobox
name = Hartlaub's Duck


status = LC
status_ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2005|id=41205|title=Pteronetta hartlaubii|downloaded=11 May 2006]
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Anseriformes
familia = Anatidae
genus = " Pteronetta "
genus_authority = Salvadori, 1895
species = "P. hartlaubii"
binomial = "Pteronetta hartlaubii"
binomial_authority = (Cassin, 1859)

The Hartlaub's Duck ("Pteronetta hartlaubii") is a dark chestnut-coloured duck of African forests. Formerly included in the paraphyletic "perching duck" assemblage, it was later moved to the dabbling duck assemblage. [Harvnb|Madge|Burn|1987|p=185] However, it is fairly distinct from the "typical" dabbling ducks, and is placed in the monotypic genus "Pteronetta" to reflect this.

Analysis of mtDNA sequences of the cytochrome "b" and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes suggests that it belongs into a very distinct clade—possibly a subfamily of its own—together with the Blue-winged Goose, another African species of waterfowl with uncertain affinities. [cite journal |last=Johnson |first=Kevin P. |coauthors=Sorenson, Michael D. |year=1999 |title=Phylogeny and biogeography of dabbling ducks (genus Anas): a comparison of molecular and morphological evidence |journalAuk |volume=116 |issue=3 |pages=792–805 |url=http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v116n03/p0792-p0805.pdf |format=PDF]

Hartlaub's Duck is resident in equatorial West and Central Africa, from Guinea and Sierra Leone east through Nigeria to Sudan, and south to Gabon, Congo and Zaire.

This bird is named after the German naturalist Gustav Hartlaub.

References

Citations

ources

* Madge, Steve & Burn, Hilary (1987): "Wildfowl : an identification guide to the ducks, geese and swans of the world". Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7470-2201-1