Animalia Life
Clangula hyemalis
SUBFAMILY
Merginae
TAXONOMY
Anas hyemalis Linnaeus, 1758, Arctic Europe and America;
monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Long-tailed duck; French: Harelde borrйale; German:
Eisente; Spanish: Pato Havelda.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
15.0–22.8 in (38–58 cm); 1.4–1.8 lb (650–800 g). Plumage
brighter in winter. Characteristic long streamers.
DISTRIBUTION
Coasts of the high Arctic. Winters south of breeding area
along coastlines of Bearing Sea Islands, southern Alaska to California,
Great Lakes, Atlantic coast from southern Labradador
to the Carolinas, the British Isles, Northern and Baltic Seas,
Caspian Sea, various lakes in Turkistan, Japan, Korea, and
northeastern China.
HABITAT
Breeds in wetlands of tundra and Arctic coasts. Winters in
open sea and large deep freshwater lakes.
BEHAVIOR
Territorial until hatching of young. Male defends a 1.24
acres (0.5 ha) small territory on which the female forages,
but does not nest. Intruders are threatened with various displays
and vocalizations before being chased in flights. Migratory.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds by diving on marine invertebrates and fish. Rarely consumes
plant matter.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Seasonally monogamous. Breeding begins May–Jun. Lays 6–9
eggs into a small depression; incubation 24–29 days; fledging
35–40 days; becomes sexually mature at 2 years.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Common to abundant throughout its range.
Threats include excessive hunting and oil spills which may kill
thousands of birds aggregating in large rafts.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Intensively hunted.
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