In Central Amazon, Brazil, the tabanid Phorcotabanus cinereus (Wiedemann) was recorded attacking the native duck Cairina moschata (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes, Anatidae). The flight and behavior of the tabanid during the attacks and the host's defenses were videotaped and analyzed in slow motion. The tabanid was recorded flying rapidly around the heads of the ducks before landing. Landing always to...

Steamer ducks (Tachyeres) comprise four species, three of which are flightless. The flightless species are believed to have diverged from a flying common ancestor during the Late Pleistocene; however, their taxonomy remains contentious. Of particular interest is the previously unstudied population of flying steamer ducks in the Falkland Islands. We present the first genetic data from this insul...

Aerial–aquatic robots have promising applications due to their ability operate in air and water with different motion modes. However, challenges such as water/air transition multimedia movement still limit development. Inspired by the aerial–aquatic behavior of wild ducks, an robot tunable tilting motors a delta wing is introduced. The can perform multimode motion, including flying air, swimmin...

Biochemical and serological studies were conducted on 73 Pasteurella multocida isolants associated with fowl cholera, 13 from waterfowl, 19 from free-flying birds other than waterfowl, 18 from chickens, 5 from turkeys, and 18 from White Pekin ducks. Three serotypes (1, 3, and 7) were associated with waterfowl, four (1, 3, 6, and 8) with free-flying birds, three (1, 3, and 4) with chickens, one ...

Air-sac pressures have been reported to oscillate with wing beat in flying magpies and with foot paddling in diving ducks. We sought to determine the impact on air-sac pressure of wing beats during swimming and of the step cycle during walking in little penguins (Eudyptula minor). Fluctuations averaged 0.16+/-0.06 kPa in the interclavicular air sacs, but only 0.06+/-0.04 kPa in the posterior th...

In six tufted ducks there was a linear relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption when swimming at different velocities. Mean oxygen consumption at mean duration of voluntary dives was 3*5 times resting and not significantly different from that at maximum sustainable swimming speed. Contrary to an earlier report (Prange & Schmidt-Nielsen, 1970), leg beat frequency increased with inc...

The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence housing system (deep litter [DL] vs. deep with swimming pond [DLSP]) on productive performance, carcass traits, body temperature, blood profile, and element composition femur tibia in Muscovy ducks. At 5 weeks age, sexed ducklings (264) were divided into 4 equal groups according gender (drakes ducks). as follows: 66 drakes/DL, drakes/...

Observations that the response of the avian heart rate to submergence varies under different circumstances have led to speculation about variability of blood flow distribution during voluntary dives. We used a radiological imaging technique to examine the patterns of circulating blood flow in captive redhead ducks (Aythya americana) during rest, swimming, escape dives, forced dives and trapped ...