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REDHEAD DUCK
 BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE REDHEAD DUCK
TAXONOMY
KINGDOM: ANIMALIA
PHYLUM: CHORDATA
SUBPHYLUM: VERTEBRATA
CLASS: BIRDS
ORDER: ANSERIFORMES
FAMILY: ANATIDAE
GENUS: Aythya
SPECIES: americana
IT MEASURES FROM 46 TO 56 cm. MALES WEIGH APPROXIMATELY 1, 087 g. AND FEMALES 953 g. THEY HAVE A GRAY BODY WITH A RED HEAD AND A BLACK NECK AND CHEST. FEMALES SHOW A BROWN COLOR WITH LIGHT AREAS AROUND THE PEAK. BOTH MALE AND FEMALE HAVE A GRAY OR BLUEISH GRAY SHOVEL TYPE PEAK. (MITCHELL 1993).
THEY BUILD THEIR NESTS MADE OF GRASS AND LAY FROM 9 TO 15 EGGS. INCUBATION LASTS FROM 24 TO 28 DAYS.
THESE DUCKS ARE COMPLETELY FEATHERED AT THEIR 53 TO 67 DAYS OLD.
THEY EAT PLANTS, SEEDS, INSECTS AND AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES.
THEY LIVE IN MOIST SOILS AND THEIR REPRODUCTION PLACE IS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA TO CALIFORNIA AND COLORADO. IT IS COMMON TO SEE THIS SPECIES IN THE STUDY ZONE.
THE MAJORITY OF REDHEAD DUCKS START THEIR SPRING MIGRATION IN MARCH ARRIVING AT THEIR REPRODUCTION SITES IN APRIL. THEY MAY BE CONSIDERED AS INTERMEDIATE MIGRATORY, COMPARED TO OTHER SPECIES THEY ARE NOT THE FIRST ONES IN LEAVING NOR THE LASTS ONES ARRIVING. (CUSTER, 1993)
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COMMON NAME: REDHEAD DUCK
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aythya americana
TYPE OF GAIN: Cinegetic
TYPE OF MARKING: HUNTING LICENSE
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CHRONOLOGY OF THE REDHEAD DUCK
MONTHS
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ACTIVITIES
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J
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F
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M
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A
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M
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J
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J
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A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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SPRING MIGRATION
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X
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X
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X
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COURTSHIP
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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NESTING
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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WINTER MIGRATION
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X
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X
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X
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