Head to head
Flying Steamer Duck vs Falkland Steamer Duck
Flying Steamer Duck
VS Falkland Steamer Duck
Both are steamer ducks that churn across the water in the same distinctive way, but one has kept the ability to fly and the other has lost it entirely.
| Flying Steamer Duck | Falkland Steamer Duck | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Tachyeres patachonicus | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Flight | Capable of true flight | Completely flightless |
| Body build | Comparatively lighter | Heavily built and stocky |
| Range | Mainland South America, extending inland | The Falkland Islands only |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Water locomotion | Churns across the water like other steamer ducks | Churns across the water like other steamer ducks |
| Habitat | Coastal, wetlands | Coastal |
Flying Steamer Duck vs Falkland Steamer Duck: common questions
Which one can fly?
The flying steamer duck can fly, the only steamer duck species to retain this ability, unlike the Falkland steamer duck, which is completely flightless.
Which one is confined to a single island group?
The Falkland steamer duck is confined this way, found only around the Falkland Islands, while the flying steamer duck ranges across mainland South America instead.
Do both churn across the water the same way?
Yes, both species propel themselves across the water's surface in the same distinctive churning, paddle-like motion that gives every steamer duck species its name.