Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae

Torrent Duck

Merganetta armata

Least Concern

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

An Andean duck with a streamlined body adapted to white water. The male has a white head and neck with black lines and a black back streaked with white; the female has a back streaked with blackish and grey and a cinnamon belly. The bill is red in both sexes and the stiff tail serves as a rudder.

Weight

335 g – 465 g

Size

43 cm – 46 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Carnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird

7countries 5parks42same family

Fun facts

It swims even against the current in white water and uses its stiff tail as a rudder; it is a powerful diver but reluctant to fly more than short distances.
It is the only species in its genus, and is placed in the shelduck subfamily following the dissolution of the artificial group of the 'perching ducks'.
A 2019 study found an ancient divergence and very restricted gene flow between the subspecies of the central and southern Andes: populations isolated by the terrain itself.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Fast-flowing rivers and streams of the Andes, generally above 1,500 m. It nests in small caves beside the water and other sheltered places. It holds fixed territories along the river

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; Wikipedia (Torrent duck); Aves Argentinas; Alza et al. 2019, Ecology and Evolution; Gould 1842; Livezey