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Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck

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description Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck Overview

The Magellanic flightless steamer duck, Tachyeres pteneres, is a large, heavy sea duck native to the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina. It cannot fly and instead propels itself rapidly across the water by paddling with its feet and beating its reduced wings, producing the splashing motion that gave steamer ducks their name. Pairs occupy rocky shorelines and sheltered coastal waters, where they feed on mollusks and other marine invertebrates and defend territories vigorously.

help Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck FAQ

Can the Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck really not fly?

Yes. Tachyeres pteneres is flightless, with reduced wings that help it paddle and steer across the water instead of carrying it through the air. [Chile biodiversity database](https://simbio.mma.gob.cl/Especies/Details/5080)

Is the Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck a marine bird?

It is a coastal marine duck found around channels, fjords, rocky bays, and river mouths along southern Chile and Argentina. It normally avoids open ocean and inland waters that have no connection to the sea. [Chile biodiversity database](https://simbio.mma.gob.cl/Especies/Details/5080)

Why is it called a steamer duck?

When alarmed, it races across the surface by paddling with its feet and beating its short wings, producing a broad fan of white spray. The movement resembles the paddle action of an old steam powered boat. [Chile biodiversity database](https://simbio.mma.gob.cl/Especies/Details/5080)

How can I distinguish it from the Flying Steamer Duck?

The Magellanic species is larger, stouter, and tied to rocky marine coasts, while the Flying Steamer Duck, Tachyeres patachonicus, uses lakes and estuaries and can fly. Both belong to the genus Tachyeres. [eBird](https://ebird.org/species/flistd1/)

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