DucksMexican DuckAnas diazi
- ORDER: Anseriformes
- FAMILY: Anatidae
Basic Description
The Mexican Duck is an understated dabbling duck that can easily be passed off as "just a female Mallard"—brownish overall with rich cinnamon (male) or buffy (female) highlights. In fact, it was treated as a Mallard subspecies for decades, from 1973 to 2020. But this distinct species has carved out a unique existence in the arid highlands of northern and central Mexico, where it breeds in temporary rainy-season wetlands and forages for agricultural crops during the lengthy dry season. This well-named species has 98% of its global population in Mexico, with just a small range extending into South Texas and the southwestern U.S.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Ánade Mexicano (Spanish)
- Canard du Mexique (French)
- Cool Facts
- The Mexican Duck was described scientifically as a distinct species in 1886 and was long considered one of three North American “black duck” species, along with American Black Duck and Mottled Duck. But in 1973, the American Ornithologists’ Union reclassified Mexican Duck as a subspecies of Mallard. The decision stood until 2020, when the American Ornithological Society re-elevated Mexican Duck to full species status based on genomic data.
- One of the Spanish names for Mexican Duck is “pato garbancero,” referencing its fondness for garbanzo beans.