White-cheeked Pintail, Galapagos by David Whited

White-cheeked Pintail, Galapagos

David Whited

White-cheeked Pintail, Galapagos

Digital photography

Inv: MM-2007

The White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis) found in the Galápagos is a small, elegant dabbling duck, and the Galápagos population is often recognized as its own subspecies (Anas bahamensis galapagensis). It's easily identified by its warm brown, heavily spotted body plumage, a bright white cheek and throat patch that contrasts sharply with its dark cap, and a distinctive bill that is bluish-gray with a patch of red at the base. Unlike many pintails, the Galápagos subspecies tends to be somewhat darker and duller overall, an adaptation thought to relate to its isolated island environment. These ducks are typically found on brackish coastal lagoons, saltwater ponds, and mangrove-lined pools throughout the archipelago, where they dabble at the surface or upend to feed on algae, aquatic invertebrates, and small crustaceans, and are notably one of the few native duck species to breed in the Galápagos Islands.