Birds · Anseriformes · Anhimidae

Southern Screamer

Chauna torquata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The southern screamer is an anseriform bird of the family Anhimidae that lives across much of southern and central South America. It is large, some 75 cm from bill to tail, and is regarded as a symbol of the pampas. It belongs to a family found only in South America and is related to the swans and geese, though at first sight it resembles neither group.

Weight

3 kg – 5 kg

Size

81 cm – 95 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

For all that it looks like a waterbird, it can soar at height on thermals much as a raptor does, thanks to air sacs under its skin.
It has air beneath its skin: a layer of subcutaneous bubbles that crackles to the touch and gives it buoyancy and insulation, a feature uncommon among birds.
Its two horny spurs on each wing are real weapons that it uses in territorial fights, and with which it can seriously injure a rival.
Its alarm call is so loud and so reliable that on the ranches of the Argentine Litoral screamers have been kept loose as farmyard sentries.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Marshes, wet grassland, lagoons and floodplains of central and eastern South America
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 45 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 4 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chauna_torquata