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Canvasback

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Canvasback

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Also known as Aythya valisineria

The canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is a species of diving duck, the largest found in North America.

OverviewAI-generated

The canvasback (*Aythya valisineria*) is a species of bird classified within the family Anatidae and order Anseriformes. It belongs to the class Aves and phylum Chordata, with the genus *Aythya* serving as its parent taxon. The species authority is listed as (Wilson, 1814), and its status is accepted. Other common names for this organism include hwyaden bengoch fawr, Riesentafelente, and Porrón coacoxtle.

The canvasback inhabits marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Its wingspan measures 82. According to the IUCN Red List, the species was assessed as Least Concern in 2021.

Synthesized by Vinony from 21 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, IUCN Red List, WoRMS, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

canvasback

Species

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassAves
  3. OrderAnseriformes
  4. FamilyAnatidae
Habitatmarine, brackish, freshwater

Although this duck’s rufous-red is one of its most striking field marks, the male Canvasback is not the only duck in North America with this pattern of coloration. In many parts of its range, this species occurs side by side with the closely-related Redhead (Aythya americana), and a couple field marks must be noted in order to distinguish the two. The Canvasback is slightly larger (20-24 inches), has a longer bill, and is much lighter on the back and flanks. Males have a red head and white body (resembling a sheet of blank canvas from a distance), while females are mostly light grayish-brown. The Canvasback breeds primarily in the northern Great Plains, the northern Rockies, western Canada, and Alaska. Most Canvasback populations migrate south in winter to the southern two-thirds of the United States and into Mexico. In its wintering range, this species is more common inland than the Redhead. Canvasbacks breed in lakes, ponds, marshes and bays. In winter, this species utilizes similar habitats as it does during the breeding season. In summer, Canvasbacks eat both aquatic plants and animals, such as small insects and mollusks; in winter, they feed primarily on plant matter, particul

via IUCN

Wikidata facts

Instance of
taxon
Parent taxon
Aythya
Image
Canvasaback (Aythya valisineria) RWD3.jpg
Show 7 more facts
taxon rank
species
IUCN conservation status
Least Concern
taxon name
Aythya valisineria
Commons category
Aythya valisineria
Commons gallery
Aythya valisineria
taxon common name
帆背潜鸭
wingspan
82
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

9 sections
Contents
  • Taxonomy
  • Description
  • Breeding
  • Migration
  • Diet
  • Cuisine
  • Conservation
  • References
  • External links

The canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is a species of diving duck, the largest found in North America.

==Taxonomy== Scottish-American naturalist Alexander Wilson described the canvasback in 1814. The genus name is derived from Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors, including Hesychius and Aristotle. The species name valisineria comes from the wild celery Vallisneria americana, whose winter buds and rhizomes are the canvasback's preferred food during the nonbreeding period. The celery genus is itself named for seventeenth century Italian botanist Antonio Vallisneri.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Canvasback” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (14)