Pink-headed duck
Pink-headed duck in LOST ZOO
Pink-headed ducks were found in the swamps and small pools along the Ganges and south along the coast to the vicinity of Madras.
Characteristic are the long, very thin and rose-pink colored neck, the pink bill and the orange eyes.
Their nests are built in the center of tufts of tall grass, generally near to the water.
There were only a few imports of the Pink-headed duck to Europe and one import to the US at the end of the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th century.
The Pink-headed ducks are seldom seen except by chance, although they are most colorful duck in India.
Body length: 35 cm, with a tail of 10,6-13,1 cm; wings 25-28 cm
Body weight: 793-1.360 g, depending on the season (before and after breeding season)
Nest: Round, 23 cm in diameter, 10-13 cm deep with walls of 7-10 cm.
Eggs: Nearly spherical, dull white with ivory tinge; in average 4.4x4.1 cm, but also almost round 4.3x4.2 cm
Habitat: Partial to swamps and small ponds surrounded by tall grass and bushes.
Extinction: Last wild specimen was shot in 1935, definitely extinct since the 1950ies. Overhunting and destruction of the habitat caused the extinction of the Pink-headed duck.
