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Steamer duck
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A steamer duck (Tachyeres) stands on sandy ground, showing its thick gray and brown plumage, orange bill, and sturdy yellow legs.
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A steamer duck (Tachyeres) stands on sandy ground, showing its thick gray and brown plumage, orange bill, and sturdy yellow legs.
steamer duck Steamer duck (Tachyeres).

Steamer duck

bird
Also known as: Tachyeres
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Steamer duck, (genus Tachyeres), any of four species of heavily built, big-billed sea ducks of southernmost South America and the Falkland Islands. The bird is named for its habit of running across the water with wings thrashing like a paddle-wheel steamboat. Of the four species, T. pteneres, T. brachypterus, and T. leucocephalus are flightless and a bit larger than the mallard-size flying steamer duck, T. patachonicus. Steamer ducks are classified in a tribe of their own, Tachyerini, family Anatidae (order Anseriformes).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.