Barbour, Thomas. 1923. |
Nombre científico: “Nomonyx dominicus” (Linné)
Nombre en inglés: “Masked Duck”
Nombre en Cuba: “Pato Agostero” |
Lo designa como: “What I have said about the Ruddy Duck applies equally to the Masked Duck. The name, Agostero, is derived from the reputed nesting in August and its becoming apparently more abundant at that time. It is rather less common in the big lake than the preceding species, but it occurs throughout the Island. Scattered pairs or very small colonies may be found in any pond large enough to support beds of saw-grass, bulrushesand aquatic plants, in which the birds may hide. During the dry season at Lake Bacuranao, not far east of Havana, they are hunted with dogs which are taught to catch the birds, loath to leave their haunts even when low water strands the floating vegetation which gives such excellent refuge when well afloat. |
“I remember one afternoon in April, 1915, the train bound for Guane stopped for repairs not far from Consolación del Sur, and the long delay allowed me adequate opportunity to watch a pair of Agosteros swimming about in a tiny pond in a nearby pasture, which was certainly less than an acre in extent. Never before or since have I seen Masked Ducks so confiding, and since that time I never passed that little pond on many journeys to and fro without hope of a repetition of this unique opportunity, but so far no second chance has been vouchsafed. I have seen Masked Ducks very occasionally in the ponds in the Cienaga, but all of the large series which we have in the Museum of Comparative Zoology was got from the two lakes Ariguanabo and Bacuranao. It is very unfortunate that it is about these two localities that the mongoose now fairly swarms. Introduced from Jamaica to Havana many years ago, it never has spread through Cuba with that rapidity which was so noteworthy elsewhere in the Antilles. The mongoose is no swimmer, but it creeps about the floating islands of willows and plays havoc with many Ducks' nests. |
“Masked Ducks when sent to market are highly prized, but of course only a few find their way to the stalls of the game-sellers each year. The closed season on game, in Havana and Matanzas Provinces especially, is well enforced, the Rural Guards being entirely efficient in these populous portions of the Island. |
“During our visit to the Lake in 192o Lord William Percy, my companion, made extensive notes, covering about all the local information obtainable, from which he has kindly extracted the following: |
“"According to local information, the Masked Ducks are much less secretive in late summer and autumn when the Lake is higher and provides less cover from view; in such conditions we were told that the Masked Ducks flew a good deal of their own accord, especially early and late in the day, and experience elsewhere with these birds did not suggest that they were difficult to flush, though they rarely flew farther than the nearest patch of cover. On the other hand local hunters agreed that, while the Masked Ducks took to wing quite frequently, the Ruddy Ducks never did so under any circumstances. This, if true, is remarkable, but it is possible that the Cuban race, being entirely stationary, may have developed a more skulking habit than that of the migratory race in Canada and the United States. (It certainly is a fact that the Erismaturas of the high Andean lakes are so unwilling to fly as to give an impression of incapacity to do so, for during several consecutive months of constant association with them I never saw one on the wing, though efforts were frequently made to induce them to fly.) |
“"In Cuba the Ruddy Ducks were in full, new breeding dress on the thirtieth of January, 1921, and were actually breeding on that date, whereas the male Masked Ducks were in full moult and young birds were obtained which appeared to be from four to five months old. We were told that this bird bred in August and was locally known as 'Agostero' for that reason. |
“"The call of the male Masked Duck is very distinctive, 'kirri-kirroo, kirri kirroo, kirroo, kirroo, kirroo,' and the bird has a curious habit of responding like a cock Pheasant to such noises as the banging of a puntpole on the water or an explosion in the distance. The female makes a short hissing noise, repeated several times. |
“"No first-hand information was collected with regard to these birds' nesting habits, but a local hunter pointed out several nests which he said were those of Masked Ducks. According to him, the nests were always placed amongst short, round rushes, and contained from five to six eggs but never any down at all."” |
Por favor consulte la bibliografía general si necesita más información en las fuentes usadas. |
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| Otras referencias del Pato Agostero (Nomonyx dominicus): |
El Pato Malvasia Chico (Nomonyx dominicus) en los Patos de Cola Dura (tribu Oxyurini) de la familia de los Anátidos (Anatidae) en Las Aves (clase Aves) de El Zoológico Electrónico en Damisela: |
El Pato Malvasia Chico (Nomonyx dominicus) es natural de las Américas. Su distribución comprende el sur de los Estados Unidos hasta el norte de Argentina. Se encuentra presente en las Antillas del Caribe, incluyendo Cuba. |
Esta distribución del Pato Agostero, o Pato Malvasia Chico, (Nomonyx dominicus) es basada en la bibliografía de esta especie en El Zoológico Electrónico de Damisela, la cual tiene más citas que las incluidas en esta presentación. |
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| Aves de Cuba en la familia del Pato Agostero (Nomonyx dominicus): |
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