No Synonyms

Description

Common, locally numerous, breeding migrant. Inhabits open lakes and marshes in steppe and desert, avoiding forest lakes, and also locally in mountains up to 1500 m in Altai. Appears somewhat later than other ducks mid-March, but mainly April. Migrates in small flocks, often with other ducks, and movement finishes about mid-May. Nest is built on ground near water (sometimes up to 2 km away) under canopy of grass or bush and on dry tussocks at marsh edge. Shallow hollow lined with dry grass and down. Clutches of 7-10 eggs end April – mid-July. Female incubates 21-24 days. Juveniles hatch mid-June – end July and fly mid-July – early August. Repeat brood after loss of clutches is common. After females begin incubation, males fly away for moult in shallow steppe or desert lakes (end May, mainly June – early July). Autumn migration begins mid-August or early September, peak movement September – October and completed end October, though some birds linger to early November.

Distribution

Breeds throughout Kazakhstan, including southern Altai (Markakol’ lake) and Ural river delta, excluding Aral Sea and adjacent deserts. Widespread on migration, sometimes visits highlands (Bolshoye Almatinskoye lake, 7 September 1971, 29 August 1972 and 5 August 1973). Occasionally winters south of Chimkent, in lower reaches of Arys and Keles rivers.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.