By Cláudio Dias Timm from Rio Grande do Sul [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla
Status.
Category E
Native Range
South America. Breeds in central-southern regions of the continent and in northern Chile and winters in southern Chile.
Conservation Status
Least Concern
British Occurrence
NBN Atlas has 10 records as at end Dec 2024. At a glance, all seem to be of preserved specimens of birds that died in captivity at Slimbridge between 1958 and 2002. Map Here
A very unusual captive bird in Europe. Rarely bred in captivity; the species is totally brood-parasitic - laying its eggs in the nests of other species (like the Cuckoo). Have there been any escapes that would place it in Category E?
