Zoology Reference Libraries
The Maccoa Duck, (Oxyura maccoa), is a species of duck found in two main breeding areas: one in eastern Africa from Sudan and Ethiopia to Tanzania and west to eastern Zaire; and a second in southern Africa from Zimbabwe to Cape Province, South Africa. The breeding habitat is shallow fresh water. The winter habitat is brackish and saline lakes. This is a small species of stiff-tailed duck, 19...
The Bufflehead, (Bucephala albeola), is a species of sea duck of the goldeneye family. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Anas albeola. This is a migratory species with most populations wintering in protected coastal waters, or open inland waters on the east and west coasts of North America as far south as the southern United States. It is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe....
The Bristle-thighed Curlew, (Numenius tahitiensis), is a species of bird found in Alaska during the breeding season, and throughout the tropical Pacific islands in the winter, including Micronesia, Fiji, Tuvalu, Tonga, Hawaiian Islands, Samoa, and French Polynesia. There is some concern over human encroachment and introduced predators in this bird’s wintering habitat. This bird is a rare...
The Aplomado Falcon, (Falco femoralis), is a species of bird of prey of Central and South America. It is found from Northern Mexico and Trinidad to southern South America, although it has been exterminated in many areas of its range, including almost all of northern and central Mexico. Its widest range is found in South America, except for the deep interior of the Amazon Basin. Its habitat is...
The Chocolate Surgeonfish, (Acanthurus pyroferus), is a species of Tang from the Indo-Pacific (excluding Hawaii) and is found primarily around steep shallow slopes near the coast with clear sand and hard corals. This species grows to about 10 inches long. It is sometimes known the Mimic Tang as an aquarium fish because of the juveniles striking coloration that resembles that of the Pygmy...
The Elongate Surgeonfish, (Acanthurus mata), is a species of tropical fish found in the Indo-Pacific, and can be found as far north as Southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef. Some also live as far west as South Africa and as far east as the Tuamotu Islands. Its main habitat is steep slopes around coral reefs. This is a light blue fish with numerous brown stripes running down the...
The Antarctic Silverfish, (Pleuragramma antarcticum), is a member of the Notothenioidei family of fish. It is widely distributed around the Antarctic, but has largely disappeared from the western side of the northern Antarctic Peninsula based on 2010 research funded by the National Science Foundation. It is also found throughout the Southern Ocean. It grows to an average size of 6 inches,...
The Bat Falcon, (Falco rufigularis), is a species of bird of prey found in Mexico, Central and South America and Trinidad. It was formerly known as Falco albigularis. Its habitats are open woodlands and forest clearings. The adult female Bat Falcon measures 12 inches in length while the male is smaller, at 9 inches. The adult has a black back, head and tail. The throat, upper breast and neck...
The Amur Bitterling, (Rhodeus sericeus), is a species of fish in the carp family. This species is sometimes just called “bitterling.” However, bitterling properly refers to any species in the entire genus Rhodeus. This species is found in Siberia. Mussels are an essential part of the Bitterling’s reproductive system, with bitterling eggs being laid inside them. It was long believed...
The Crested Duck (Lophonetta specularioides) is a species of duck native to South America. It is the only species in its genus Lophonetta. It is often included in the Anas genus of birds, but it actually belongs to a South American group that diverged early in dabbling duck evolution. There are two subspecies: the Andean Crested Duck (L. specularioides alticola) and the Patagonian Crested...
