Sarkidiornis is a genus within the family Anatidae comprising two species that inhabit aquatic environments in tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa and southern Asia.. Sarkidiornis is sometimes considered a monotypic genus with its sole member the knob-billed duck (S. melanotos), a cosmopolitan species.

Sarkidiornis
Comb duck (Sarkidiornis sylvicola)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Tadorninae
Genus: Sarkidiornis
Eyton, 1838

Taxonomy

edit

This genus was first described in 1838 by Thomas Campbell Eyton.[1] The type species, Anser melanotos (S. melanotos), was originally described in 1769 by Thomas Pennant, based on a bird collected in what is now Sri Lanka.[2]

Etymologically, the term Sarkidiornis is derived from Greek, where sarkidion means "little meat" or "caruncle", and ornis means "bird". This name refers to the fleshy crest at the base of the male’s beak.

Most taxonomic authorities[who?], however, split the species into two:

Genus Sarkidiornis Eyton, 1838 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Knob-billed duck

 
Male
 
Female

Sarkidiornis melanotos
(Pennant, 1769)
Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and Southern Asia from Pakistan to Laos and extreme southern China
 
Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 LC 


Comb duck

 
Male
 
Female

Sarkidiornis sylvicola
(Ihering, HFA & Ihering, R, 1907)
eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil and extreme northeastern Argentina
 
Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 LC 



References

edit
  1. ^ Eyton, T. C.; Hullmandel, Charles Joseph; Lear, Edward; Scharf, George (1838). A monograph on the anatidae, or duck tribe /. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longman ... and Eddowes, Shrewsbury. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.51971.
  2. ^ Pennant, Thomas; Mazell, Peter (1769). Indian zoology /. [London]: [publisher not identified]. p. 11-12. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.153157.