CRESTED DUCK 
133 
Young in First Plumage; Very similar to adults, but lower abdomen much paler, the head without 
a crest, and tail shorter and more square, with the tips of the feathers blunt. 
Young in Down: Differ from the Mallard in having no striping on the face, with the bronm of the 
crown and face merging graduallj^ into the pure white of chin and throat. Whole upper side delicate 
gray-brown; under side immaculate, except for buffy stain on breast. White patches occur, as in the 
young of most ducks, on wings, scapulars, sides, and rump. 
Note: As Salvadori remarks, this is not a typical member of the genus Anas, the long pointed tail, 
crest and peculiar doi\Tiy young suggesting other relationships. 
DISTRIBUTION 
This duck is a common species in western and southern South America, frequenting particularly the 
high Andes. Many observers have believed it migratory, but a survej" of the available dates soon 
shows that the birds are met with in both extremes of the range at the very same seasons, and the 
evidence also indicates that they breed throughout the area of occurrence. There is, however, good 
reason to suppose that they migrate vertically, and several investigators have pointed out that the 
birds are found at very high altitudes in the warm season, while during the cold months they frequent 
the lowlands and coast regions. 
The northernmost record for this duck seems to be that given by Taczanowski (1886) for Lake 
Junin and Salinas, Peru, altitude 14,000 feet. WTitely (P. L. Sclater and Salvin, 1876) who took 
specimens there, also met with the species at Tinta. It has been found also in Arequipa, 
southern Peru (Oustalet, 1891), at an altitude of 4000 meters. There is now sufficient 
evidence of its presence in the mountainous areas in western Bolivia. It was found 
there at Tamarope and CosapiUa, 4200 meters, and at Lake Poopo (Menegaux, 1909a). Eggs also 
have been taken in the Bolivian Andes (Scott and Sharpe, 1912). 
In Chile the species is apparently common. It is so recorded from Tarapaca (Lane, 1897; Philippi, 
1888). Farther south it has nested at Huasco and Sacaya (Lane, 1897) and it is known also from 
Santiago Province (Leybold, 1873). Many observers have recorded it for Chile in Qj^g 
general (Philippi, 1868; James, 1892; Quijada, 1910; etc.) and Coppinger (1883, p. 68) 
states that it is quite common in the south at Trinidad Channel. 
The Crested Duck is perhaps less common in the Argentine, excepting the Andean regions, but 
even so it has a wide distribution in that Republic. It has been found as far north as Jujuy and 
Salta Provinces at high altitudes (Bruch, 1904) and has been recorded for Tucuman ^gg^^ina 
from the Laguna de Cerro Pelado, oOOO meters (!) (Baer, 1904), for Tucuman City 
(Hartert and Venturi, 1909), for Lago Grande, 4300 meters (Hartert and Venturi, 1909) and from 
the whole Province, 4500 meters (Lillo, 1902) . Eggs were taken at Lago Grande, 4300 meters (Hart- 
ert and Venturi, 1909). The Princeton Patagonian Expedition (Scott and Sharpe, 1912) took 
specimens at Mt. Tigre, San Juan Province, and P. Gosse (1899) and Reed (1916) met with it in 
the Cordilleras of Mendoza. There is no evidence, however, of its occurrence in the lower eastern 
sections, in Gran Chaco or the districts west of the La Plata. But farther south in Patagonia it 
has been frequently seen. It is found at all seasons in eastern Patagonia (Oustalet, 1891) and has 
been recorded for Bahia (Dabbene, 1910). Farther west it breeds in Neuquen and also on Lago 
Nahuel Huapi in western Rio Negro (Venturi, Dabbene, 1910). Mr. J. L. Peters, collecting for 
me, thought it a not uncommon migrant in western Patagonia. The Princeton Expedition (Scott 
and Sharpe, 1912) found it in Chubut, and Oustalet (1891) states that it is met with in winter in 
southern Patagonia. 
On the Straits of Magellan this duck is quite common (Cunningham, 1871) and has been recorded 
