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Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus |
Physical DescriptionAdult males: are slate blue with chestnut sides and a white crescent at the base of the bill and a white ear patch. Adult females: aren't as colorful as adult males, with brownish gray plumage and a white patch on the ear, the eye and the head.Diet and Feeding HabitsHarlequin ducks are carnivores that eat mollusks, crustaceans, and insects. They feed by either skimming organisms from the surface of ponds or rivers or by diving. They mostly eat fresh water invertebrates such as larva, stone flies, mayflies, caddis flies, and black flies.ReproductionHarlequin ducks are usually two or three years of age when they reach their sexual maturity, but they usually wait a couple of years before they have babies. Breeding usually starts in late May or early June. The egg incubates for 28 to 30 days before they hatch. Harlequins have a low reproduction rate which makes their population longer to rebuild. A female harlequin duck will lay around 3-8 eggs in her lifetime.HabitatHarlequin ducks live in coastal marine environments. Only during spring do they leave salt water to go to rivers and streams to breed. Harlequins prefer rocky shores and ledges.Role in the EcosystemHarlequin ducks are consumers. They are an endangered species on the Atlantic coastline. The harlequin duck is also a predator and prey. It eat the insects in an ecosystem, making the ecosystem a better environment/community. Harlequins hunts such things as black flies, mayflies, stone flies, caddis flies and larva, therefore making the harlequin duck a carnivore. It is hunted by red foxes and gray wolves. Below are the definitions for carnivore, omnivore, herbivore and scavenger.Carnivore: is an organism that just eats meat. Omnivore: is an organism that eats plants and meat. Herbivore: is an organism that just eats plants. Scavenger: is an organism that feeds off of carrion, refuse, and dead plant material. Bibliographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin_Duckhttp://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Histrionicus_histrionicus.html http://hww.ca/hww2.asp?cid=7&id=47 |
