Spotbill duck or Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) Family at Dabhi tank
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Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha), also called Grey Duck, is a common breeding resident. Locally called Garm Pai or Gugral, this bird is found in the wetlands of India.Identification: Large dark brown duck with scaly-pattern plumage. Bill is black with yellow, orange spot on the base of bill. Size: 60 cm .Habits: Found all over India in wetlands, freshwater vegetation covered jheels and reservoirs etc. with extensive emergent vegetation. This bird is sociable, often found in pairs. Female duck with chicks is a common site during breeding season. It breeds from July to September.
The Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) also known as the Spotbill, is a dabbling duck which breeds in tropical and eastern Asia. It has three subspecies: the Indian Spot-billed Duck (A. poecilorhyncha poecilorhyncha), Eastern Spot-billed Duck (A. poecilorhyncha zonorhyncha), and Burmese Spot-billed Duck (A. poecilorhyncha haringtoni).This duck is resident in the southern part of its range from Pakistan and India to southern Japan, but the northern subspecies, the Eastern Spot-billed Duck (A. p. zonorhyncha), is migratory, wintering in Southeast Asia. It is quite gregarious outside the breeding season and forms small flocks. The northernmost populations have expanded their range northwards by more than 500 km since the early 20th century, possibly in reaction to global warming.This duck is around the same size as a Mallard. It measures 55--63 cm (22--25 in) in length and 83--95 cm (33--37 in) across the wings, with a body mass of 790--1,500 g (1.7--3.3 lb).[3][4] These are mainly grey ducks with a paler head and neck and a black bill tipped bright yellow. The wings are whitish with black flight feathers below, and from above show a white-bordered green speculum and white tertials. The male has a red spot on the base of the bill, which is absent or inconspicuous in the smaller but otherwise similar female. Juveniles are browner and duller than adults.The Eastern Spot-billed Duck is darker and browner; its body plumage is more similar to the Pacific Black Duck. It lacks the red bill spot, and has a blue speculum.It is a bird of freshwater lakes and marshes in fairly open country and feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night. It nests on the ground in vegetation near water, and lays 8-14 eggs.Both the male and female have calls similar to the Mallard.