MASKED DUCK 

 ( Oxyura domlnica) 



[EN: Quail Duck, FR: Canard masque, Canard zombie, Canard routoutou; GE: Masken- 

 ruderente, SP: Pato dominico, Pato chorizo, Pato chico, Pato criollo, Pato es- 

 pinoso, Pato codorniz, Pato agostero] 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION 



The Masked Duck is primarily a species of the West Indies and northern 

 South America. It occurs in the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, and in 

 South America east of the Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina, Uruguay, 

 southern Bolivia, and southeastern Peru. It has occurred one or more times in 

 all the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico (except Mississippi), and as a 

 straggler north to Wisconsin and Massachusetts (Johnsgard and Hagemeyer 1969). 

 It is resident locally from coastal Texas (uncommonly) and Nayarit south through 

 Mexico and Central America to Panama, and in the Greater Antilles, but is rare 

 east of Hispaniola (AOU 1957, Bond 1971). 



There are single records of the Masked Duck in Georgia (Johnsgard and Hage- 

 meyer 1969) and Alabama (Imhof 1976b). The species has been recorded frequently 

 in Florida, with annual appearances since 1973 and as many as nine reported at 

 once. Owre (1962) suggested that the species might be more frequent in Florida 

 than previously recognized. The record tends to bear this out, and a nesting 

 record there in the near future would not be surprising. We know of six records 

 of the Masked Duck in Louisiana, and Lowery (1974) predicted that "it will soon- 

 er or later be found to nest in southwestern Louisiana." 



The history of occurrences of the Masked Duck in Texas, including the first 

 two verified nestings, was summarized through 1968 by Johnsgard and Hagemeyer 

 (1969). Oberholser (1974) extended the record into 1970, and noted three records 

 of breeding in the 1930' s. Small numbers of Masked Ducks were seen in each year 

 of the past decade in counties along or near the southern Gulf coast. Definite 

 nesting areas in recent years are Anahuac NWR, Chambers County; Falfuttias, 

 Brooks County; Welder Wildlife Refuge, San Patricio County (Johnsgard and Hage- 

 meyer 1969, Oberholser 1974); and Brownsville, Cameron County (Webster 1978a). 



SUSCEPTIBILITY TO OIL POLLUTION 



We have no information that oiling has affected Masked Ducks. Because of 

 the limited distribution and rarity of the species in the southeastern states, 

 and because of its preference for inland waters, the Masked Duck is not likely 

 to be greatly affected by oiling incidents. 



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