Brazilian merganser, Mergus octosetaceus, photographed in Brasil, South America.
Image: Savio Freire Bruno/National Geographic [velociraptorize].
Question: This South American mystery bird species has a characteristic that is rare amongst birds in this clade. Can you tell me what this characteristic is?
Response: This is an adult female Brazilian merganser, Mergus octosetaceus, with her newly-hatched chicks in tow (one is riding on her back). This species is one of the rarest waterfowl in the world, with fewer than 250 individuals alive today.
Like other mergansers, this is a tree-nesting species. Only the females incubate the eggs, but both parents care for the young -- very unusual for ducks.
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