Animals

Male has a black crown contrasting with a buffy white face and throat with a blackish "thumbprint" at the ear. Back and sides of neck, breast spotted with black. Tawny buff flanks and abdomen. Back, rump and tail dark brown to black. upper tail covers vermiculated with black. Upper wing surface mostly dark brown to black. The secondaries form an iridescent green speculum. Feet and bill are bluish gray. Females have browner crowns and less contrasting facial markings. A very small duck averaging only 12 to 14 inches in length.
An African species ranging from Angola, Zambia and the eastern Congo to Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, south nearly to the Cape. Also resident in Madagascar. Live in shallow fresh water marshes and ponds with fringed edges of reeds and floating leaf plants.
Diet:
Grass seeds, water insects and insect larvae. They forage by dabbling, not diving.