Falcated duck, orFalcated teal(Anas falcata)
Phylum —chordata
Class — aves
Order — anseriformes
Family — anatidae
Genus –anas
Appearance
Males and females have similar lengths at 46 to 53 cm (18–21 in). Their weight can range from 422 to 770 g (14.9–27.2 oz), with males weighing more than their female counterparts. Wingspans range from 79 to 91 cm (31–36 in).
The breeding male is unmistakable. Most of the body plumage is finely vermiculated grey, with the long sickle-shaped tertials, which give this species its name, hanging off its back. The large head is dark green with a white throat, and a dark green collar and bronzed crown. The vent region is patterned in yellow, black and white.
The female falcated duck is dark brown, with plumage much like a female wigeon. Its long grey bill is an aid to identification. The eclipse male is like the female, but darker on the back and head. In flight both sexes show a pale grey underwing. The blackish speculum is bordered with a white bar on its inner edge.
Juveniles have plumage similar to females of the species.
Habitat
The range of falcated teals is from eastern Siberia and Mongolia to northern Japan with wintering grounds in southeast Asia to eastern India.
Behavior
Falcated teal tend to be seen in pairs and small groups. During migration and winter, however, they will be seen in large flocks. Most activity is performed during the day, but migration often occurs at night.
Diet
Falcated teal are mostly herbivorous, and eat vegetable matter, seeds, rice and aquatic plants. Occasionally they also consume small invertebrates and soft shelled mollusks.
Reproduction
During the mating season the falcated ducks form monogamous pairs that last throughout the mating season.
The clutch is 6–10 eggs. Eggs are generally laid in late May. These birds have their nests on the ground in thick grasses, tussocks, swamped shrubbery, or hidden in deadwood. Usually the eggs are nested near water but have also been seen in small bushes approximately 80 m (260 ft) from the water. The eggs have a color of white with a pinkish yellow tint. Females incubate the eggs alone. The males will leave the female during incubation.
In captivity
Ducks have a strong immune system, they can easily survive in winter when it` s cold in the wild, adapting to natural conditions. But home breeding does not give the birds better chance to survive, so in order not to take risks, the breeder needs to create a comfortable environment for the ducks.
Before raising ducks, you need to build a poultry house for them. A height of one and a half meters will be enough for them. Almost any materials can be used for construction. The main thing is that they are environmentally friendly and safe, such as wood. One of the main conditions for breeding ducks-the room must be clean, dry and draughty. Although they are waterfowl, they cannot live in dampness and mud, especially since in such conditions there is a risk of an outbreak of infectious or viral diseases. The floor is made of wood or clay.
The area of the poultry house is calculated so that no more than three adults can be placed on 1 m2. Ducks do not need perches and other high devices. Everything should be on the floor and not very high. A bed of straw, sawdust, or hay should be laid on the floor of the poultry house. In winter, the layer is made thick, up to 40 cm thick, so that the bird can burrow into it and keep warm. Change it as needed or once a week. In summer, some of the litter is either removed or the keeper makes it thinner. In winter, the temperature in the poultry house should be above 0°C. It is very important that the building for ducks has ventilation, for example, a window, as dangerous gases are released from the droppings.
Raising a duck will be easier if the bird can walk outside. In addition, this will eliminate the possibility of their obesity. Be sure to set aside a place for swimming. It can be made with your own hands, but in such a way that you can change the water and clean the dirt. Even better, if the ducks have access to a natural reservoir, then they can eat insects and grass. Bathing contributes to the rapid growth and development of birds.
To prevent the bird from swimming away, a fence is made in an open reservoir. It should be about 70 cm in the water, and 50 cm above the water. If you do not do it, the bird will dive and swim out of the enclosure. It is better to place an aviary for walking immediately at the entrance to the poultry house on the south or south-east side of it. Enclose it with a grid or picket fence with a height of at least 1 m.
In order for ducks to get a full meal and grow quickly, their diet should include not only compound feed, but also fresh grass, mineral supplements and wet mixes. Combined food can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands. To do this, you will need cereals: barley, wheat, corn, as well as sunflower meal, fat, meat and bone meal or fish meal, salt, milk powder, premix and shells. In winter and spring, when it is still too cold outside and there is no grass with insects, ducks are fed inside the enclosure at least three times a day. In the morning and in the afternoon, wet mixes are issued, and in the evening, combined feed. If the ducks can already feed in the paddock, it is enough to give out food 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening.