Knob-Billed Duck:
A rare knob-billed duck — a species usually associated with the wetlands of Central India, particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat — has been recently recorded for the first time at Pong Lake Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The knob-billed duck, or African comb duck, is a species of duck named for the prominent, leaf-shaped comb on top of the male’s bill.
- Scientific Name: Sarkidiornis melanotos
- It is found in tropical wetlands in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent from northern India to Laos and extreme southern China.
- It breeds in freshwater swamps and lakes in the tropics.
- It is one of the largest species of duck. Length can range from 56 to 76 cm, wingspan ranges from 116 to 145 cm, and weight ranges from 1.03 to 2.9 kg.
- Adults have a freckled white head with dark spots, a pure white neck, and glossy blue-black upperparts showing a greenish-blue iridescence. The male is much larger than the female.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern
