ROSY-BILLED DUCK 



METOPIANA PEPOSACA (Vieillot) 



(Plate 55) 



Synonymy 



Anas peposaca Vieillot, Nouv. Dictionnaire d. Sci. Nat., vol. 5, p. 132, 1818. 



Anas metopias Poppig, Froriep's Notizen, vol. 32, p. 9, 1829. 



Anas albipennis Meyen, ex Lichtenstein MS., Nova Acta Acad. Leop. -Carol., Halle, 



vol. 16, suppl., p. 119, 1833. 

 Fuligula metopias G. R. Gray, List Birds British Mus., vol. 3, p. 143, 1844. 

 Fuligula albipennis Reichenbach, Synopsis Avium, Natatores, pi. 285, fig. 2350, 1850. 

 Anas pesosaca [sic] G. R. Gray, Genera Birds, vol. 3, p. 616, 1845. 

 Fuligula pesosaca [sic] G. R. Gray, Genera Birds, appendix, p. 28, 1849. 

 Metopiana peposaca Bonaparte, Comptes Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, vol. 43, p. 649, 



1856. 

 Fuligula peposaca Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Anseres, p. 31, 1866. 

 Metopias peposaca Heine and Reichenow, Nom. Mus. Heineanum, p. 347, 1890. 



Vernacular Names 

 English: Rosy-billed Duck, Black Duck. 

 German: Peposaka Ente, Rotschnabel Ente. 

 French: Milouin en deuil, Canard a bee rose, Canard peposaca. 

 Spanish: Pato picazo, Pato negro, Pato sin cresta, Pato silvestre picazo, Pato picazo 

 o cresta rosa, Marregao, Jeco. 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: Whole head and upper neck black, but on the sides of the head a dark purple gloss is 

 superimposed. Mantle black, with a greenish tinge. Scapulars very dark greenish black minutely 

 freckled with white. Back black, with fine grayish freckles; rump, upper tail-coverts and tail black. 

 Breast jet black; abdomen and flanks finely vermiculated with black and white. Under tail-coverts 

 white. Wing-coverts very dark greenish brown except at the carpal joint where there is a white patch. 

 Secondaries white, except at their tips where there is a broad black band. Four outer primaries 

 cream-colored on inner web and blackish on outer web, remainder white with black tips. Under 

 wing-coverts white except the marginal ones which are blackish. Axillars nearly white. 



Iris rich orange to reddish or red or even clear yellow, depending on the season (C. H. B. Grant, 

 1911; R. H. Beck field-notes; Princeton Patagonian Expedition; J. L. Peters' notes). Bill lilac, tip 

 black, knob pale tomato-red, shading into lilac; point of the gape black (C. H. B. Grant, 1911). Legs 

 and feet yellow to yellow-ochre or orange; webs dusky. 



Wing 228-245 mm.; bill 61-66; tarsus 41-45. 



