Crested Duck

This article is about the wild species. For domestic breed, see Crested Duck (domestic breed) .

Crested Duck
L. specularioides
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Subfamily:	Anatinae
Genus:	Lophonetta Riley, 1914
Species:	L. specularioides
Binomial name
Lophonetta specularioides (King, 1828)
Subspecies
L. s. alticola Ménégaux, 1909 Andean Crested Duck L. s. specularioides King, 1828 Southern Crested Duck
Synonyms
Anas specularioides

The Crested Duck (Lophonetta specularioides) is a species of duck native to South America, the only member of the monotypic genus Lophonetta. It is sometimes included in Anas, but it belongs to a South American clade that diverged early in dabbling duck evolution (Johnson & Sorenson, 1999). There are two subspecies: L. specularioides alticola (Andean Crested Duck) and L. specularioides specularioides (Patagonian Crested Duck). The Patagonian Crested Duck is also called the Southern Crested Duck and its range lies in the Falklands, Chile, and Argentina.

It feeds on invertebrates and algae, and prefers shallow coastal regions. It nests in tall grass near water^{[citation needed]} and lays 5 to 7 eggs.

References

• Johnson, Kevin P. & Sorenson, Michael D. (1999): Phylogeny and biogeography of dabbling ducks (genus Anas): a comparison of molecular and morphological evidence. Auk 116(3): 792–805. PDF fulltext
• Falklands.net