Oxyura maccoa
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The Maccoa duck (Oxyura maccoa) is a stiff-tailed diving duck found across Eastern and Southern Africa. As members of the stiff-tailed duck group, Maccoas are often found wading in the water with their tail feathers cocked upwards. As diving ducks, their bodies are specialized for being agile underwater swimmers and thus have sacrificed the characteristics that allow them to move well on land. As a result, their legs are set further back on their bodies which makes them awkward when walking out of water.
The breeding male Maccoa stands out with its cobalt blue bill extending from a completely black head and throat. The breast and back are chestnut coloured while the underparts are often greyish-brown, the rump is dark brown, and the tail and feet are black. In flight, the male's off-white underwing feathers and white axillaries can be seen. Non-breeding males closely resemble the females, except for a few points: a darker crown and hints of chestnut colour on the back.
The female Maccoa is less colourful. It boasts a greyish-black bill with a light tip, and a light brown face with a dark crown and cheek stripe, and an off-white throat. The female... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Liberty's Owl, Raptor and Reptile Centre | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Llys Nini | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Portland Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Maccoa Duck sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 171st most-seen of the 196 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Maccoa Duck in Cape Town on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Maccoa Duck sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Maccoa Duck sightings, Cape Town has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come London (United Kingdom, under 5%).
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Maccoa Duck that you can see in Cape Town (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Egyptian Goose (about 60%), Yellow-billed Duck (about 40%) and Cape Shoveler (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Maccoa Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Cape Town (13 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.
