Comb duck
Scientific name: Sarkidiornis sylvicola
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
Large duck with prominent sexual dimorphism: males feature a distinctive fleshy knob on the head and dark green neck; females are smaller and drab grey-brown with white belly.
Size and weight
Male: 61–76 cm, 1.5–2.0 kg; female: 56–61 cm, 1.2–1.5 kg.
Habitat
Occupies wooded wetlands, forest swamps, and margins of larger water bodies, typically below 1500 m elevation.
Distribution
West Africa through East Africa to southern Africa; favours vegetated wetlands and woodland pools.
Diet
Grazes on aquatic vegetation and seeds, also takes insects and small fish, particularly during breeding.
Behaviour
Diurnal, often encountered in pairs or small flocks; swims and dives readily; flight is slow with distinctive wing-beats.
Hunting tips
Locate birds at dawn and dusk along water margins; read sign from tracks and resting sites in mud. Approach slowly from downwind through dense riparian vegetation; use scattered shallow ponds and reed-fringed channels as stalking corridors.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.
Names in other languages
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.