Stifftail

Stiff-tail  strong tail, one of many small, rounded ducks with short wings and long bristle feathers, of the tribe Oxyurini, family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). The most common species is the red duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) of North America. In most species, the drake has a beautiful red and blue color during the breeding season; at other times it is boring. Hens are solid colored birds with a line or two on their face. Raidetail uses its unique tail feathers to travel underwater in search of food. Obstacles may come off the ground; like most waterfowl, they sleep on the water. The drake has an expanding esophagus and air sacs in its neck that it exhales (and, in some species, flaps its beak) during its vocalizations and mating calls. Stifftails often build reed nests in wetlands. The eggs, which are about four or five per clutch, have a hard surface and are the largest laid by waterfowl. Ducks help raise young people, a rare trait in ducks. Most of the hardy species live in the wa...