Nomonyx dominicus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The masked duck (Nomonyx dominicus) is a tiny stiff-tailed duck ranging through the tropical Americas. The only member of the genus Nomonyx, it is intermediate between the rather primitive black-headed duck (Heteronetta) and the very apomorphic true stiff-tailed ducks. It is sometimes included with the latter in the genus Oxyura, but the masked ducks are now considered the descendants of a missing link in the Oxyurini evolution, having changed little for millions of years.
They are found from southern Texas and Mexico to South America and also in the Caribbean. Primarily not migratory, masked ducks are reported as very uncommon vagrants in the southernmost United States, along the Mexican border and in Florida. As of 2000, the conservation status for masked ducks in Texas is 3,800 birds. On April 1, 1962, it was recorded from Lowndes County, Georgia, where it was photographed by Alexander Wetmore. Masked ducks breed in any freshwater body with marsh vegetation and surrounded by heavy tree cover. They also occur in mangrove swamps.
Breeding adult males have a rust-colored body with a black face and mottled wings. Adult... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Duck sighting in Buenos Aires on a given day, based on 673 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 126th most-seen of the 274 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Duck in Buenos Aires on a given day, against under 5% in December to July, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Masked Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Masked Duck sightings, Buenos Aires has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Curitiba (Brazil, under 5%) and Bogota (Colombia, under 5%).
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Masked Duck that you can see in Buenos Aires (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Rosybill Pochard (about 30%), Speckled Teal (about 30%) and Silver Teal (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Masked Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Buenos Aires (673 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
