Hartlaub's Duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Hartlaub's Duck

Pteronetta hartlaubii (Cassin, 1860)

56–58 cmLength790 gWeight

Hartlaub's duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii) is a dark chestnut-coloured duck of African forests.

Busiest months: January–February and August · Most records: Ghana, Uganda, Gabon

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Hartlaub's Duck has been recorded at 37 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ankasa NPGhana114 records
  2. Semuliki NP – Kirumya TrailUganda39 records
  3. Semuliki NPUganda34 records
More places
  1. Parc de la LekediGabon28 records
  2. Bosque Científica – Selva PrimariaEquatorial Guinea24 records
  3. Dzanga-Sangha NP – Dzanga BaiCentral African Republic21 records
  4. Sangha LodgeCentral African Republic16 records
  5. Grand Hotel DjiblohoEquatorial Guinea16 records
  6. Ngaoundaba RanchCameroon16 records
  7. PN Loango – AkakaGabon12 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GhanaUgandaGabonEquatorial GuineaCentral African RepublicCongo - BrazzavilleCameroonSierra Leone

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

Hartlaub's duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii) is a dark chestnut-coloured duck of African forests. Formerly included in the paraphyletic "perching duck" assemblage, it was later moved to the dabbling duck assemblage. However, it is distinct from the "typical" dabbling ducks, and is placed in the monotypic genus Pteronetta.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Hartlaub's Duck?

The Hartlaub's Duck is about 56–58 cm long and weighs around 790 g.

Where does the Hartlaub's Duck live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Sierra Leone to southwestern Uganda and northern Angola. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Uganda and Gabon.

When is the best time to see the Hartlaub's Duck?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and August (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Hartlaub's Duck endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Hartlaub's Duck as Least Concern.

What does the Hartlaub's Duck eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Hartlaub's Duck in?

It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.

At a glance

Length
56–58 cm
Weight
790 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
267 mm
Tail
95 mm
Bill
50 mm
Tarsus
42 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Sierra Leone to southwestern Uganda and northern Angola

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Ducks, Geese, Swans Anatidae
Genus
Pteronetta

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Hartlaub's Duck

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ebobo. ↗

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