diagnostics
48-51 cm, 600-800 g. A small, compact duck with a stiff tail often held erect. Sexes differ in plumage colouration. Breeding male has a dull black head extending to hind neck and throat. Lower neck, mantle, scapulars, back, rump and upper tail coverts chestnut. Tail blackish brown. Lower throat, sides of neck, breast, sides of body and flanks rich chestnut. Centre of breast and remainder of body greyish brown. Lacks a coloured speculum or wing bar. Eyes dark brown. Bill bright blue. Female much duller, with crown, nape and face of dark brown with a whitish streak below eye. Remainder of upperparts grey-brown, finely vermiculated and freckled greyish buff. Chin and throat whitish and remainder of underparts grey-brown. Bill dark brown. Juvenile resembles female but more uniform (Colahan 2005).
trophic
During the breeding season, the Maccoa Duck prefers small, shallow and nutrient-rich inland freshwater lakes (Johnsgard and Carbonell 1996), although it also takes advantage of man-made infrastructure such as farm dams and sewage farms (Johnsgard and Carbonell 1996). Outside of the breeding season, the species will make use of larger sites with deeper water (Berruti et al. 2005). Breeding takes place from July through to April, with a peak in September to November (Johnsgard 1978). The timing of breeding is thought to be related to rainfall (Abebe et al. 2007). Nests are in emergent vegetation over deep water and, being attached to vegetation, are prone to flooding when water levels rise (Abebe et al. 2007). A polygynous mating system is employed with males maintaining a territory with several females breeding simultaneously within that territory (Siegfried et al. 1976). A generation length of six year is provided by BirdLife International (2014). Birds become more tolerant in the non-breeding season, congregating in large flocks (Kear 2005). Maccoa Ducks forage by diving and straining the benthic substrate through the bill, taking invertebrates and algae as well as the seeds and roots of wetland plants (Siegfried et al. 1976). Dives can last 15-22 seconds (Macnae 1959) during foraging spells of 30-60 minutes (Siegfried et al. 1976).
