White-headed Duck-Endangered animals list-Our endangered animals

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White-headed Duck

Anseriformes, Anatidae
Oxyura leucocephala

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At the turn of the 20th century there were more than 100,000 White-headed Ducks. Now, they are on the brink of extinction because their habitat for the winter has become polluted, leaving them homeless for the winter.

Body length: 48 cm

(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)

The White-headed Duck lives over a broad range that spans the Eurasian continent from Mongolia, Russia, and India in the east to Algeria and Spain in the west. They also live on the African continent.

The White-headed Duck likes to eat insect larvae and lug worms.

They almost look like a boat when they swim because of the way they prop their head and tail up. You can always spot a male duck by its beautiful and brilliant colored blue bill.

Find out more about the White-headed Duck!

No where to spend the winter...
The White-headed Duck is a migratory bird. They live on lakes and ponds in warm areas during the winter. Unfortunately, those lakes are being filled or becoming polluted, causing their population to steadily decline. A population that was once thought to number 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century is now on the brink of extinction. For a migratory bird that moves between two habitats, it is essential that both environments be safe for them to live.

Ducks from America cause confusion!?
Some White-headed Ducks die from hunting, while others are accidently caught in fishing nets and drown. In some regions, there aren't that many purebred White-headed Ducks left any more because of unintentional crossbreeding with Ruddy Ducks, which come from a different region. Humans are to blame for bringing the Ruddy Ducks to Europe and causing this state of confusion.