Animalia Life

Merganetta armata
SUBFAMILY
Anatinae
TAXONOMY
Merganetta armata Gould, 1842, Andes of Chile. Six subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Merganette des torrents; German: Sturzbachente; Spanish: Pato de torrente.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
16.9–18.1 in (43–46 cm); 0.69–0.97 lb (315–440 g); slender bodied.
DISTRIBUTION
M. a. colombiana: Andes of western Venezuela south to southern Ecuador. M. a. leucogenis: Andes of southern Ecuador south to northwest Argentina. Merganetta a. armata: Andes of Mendoza, Argentina, and Atacama, Chile, south to Tierra del Fuego. Found between 984 and 15,100 ft (300–4,600 m), in south down to sea level.
HABITAT
Fast-flowing, rocky mountain streams with clear water in pбramo grasslands and humid montane forest.
BEHAVIOR
Very territorial and aggressive year round.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on aquatic invertebrates and possibly fish. Forages by diving, dipping head into water, and upending; searches crevices among rocks and boulders.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Perennially monogamous. May mate for life. Grassy nest lined with down can be found in cavities, among rocks, or in dense vegetation. Breeding season depends on locality. Lays 3–4 eggs; incubation c. 43–44 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
M. a. colombiana and M. a. leucogenis appear to be declining and may soon be considered Near Threatened. Main causes for the decline are deforestation, river siltation, hunting, and mining.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Hunted for food.

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