Comb Duck
Comb DuckComb DuckComb DuckComb Duck

Comb Duck

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
86 Verified records at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The knob-billed duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) or African comb duck is a type of duck found along the tropical/sub-tropical wetlands and waterways of Sub-Saharan Africa and the island of Madagascar, as well as most of South Asia and mainland Indochina. Most taxonomic authorities classify the knob-billed duck and the comb duck separately. A misidentified species of extinct Mauritian comb duck was initially described from unrecognised remains of the Mauritius sheldgoose (Alopochen mauritiana); this was realised as early as 1897, but the printed case of mistaken identity can still, occasionally, be found in modern-day sources. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Comb Duck sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 86 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

White-faced Whistling Duck
LC

White-faced Whistling Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna viduata

40–50% · Likely
Spur-winged Goose
LC

Spur-winged Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plectropterus gambensis

30–40% · Possible
White-backed Duck
LC Endemic

White-backed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalassornis leuconotus

30–40% · Possible
African Pygmy-Goose
LC

African Pygmy-Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nettapus auritus

30–40% · Possible
Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

20–30% · Possible
Yellow-billed Duck
LC

Yellow-billed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas undulata

20–30% · Possible
Red-billed Teal
LC

Red-billed Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas erythrorhyncha

10–20% · With luck
Hottentot Teal
LC

Hottentot Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula hottentota

10–20% · With luck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
LC

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna bicolor

5–10% · With luck
Cape Shoveler
LC

Cape Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula smithii

<5% · Rare
Muscovy Duck
LC

Muscovy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cairina moschata

Insufficient data
Cape Teal
LC

Cape Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas capensis

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
5–10
May
10–20
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
<5
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
30–40%
2 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
3 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
4 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
5 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
10–20%
6 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
7 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
10–20%
8 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
9 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
10 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
11 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
12 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
13 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
14 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
16 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
17 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
18 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
19 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
5–10%
20 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
21 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
22 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
23 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
24 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
25 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
26 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
27 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
28 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
29 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
30 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
31 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
32 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
33 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
34 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
35 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
36 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
37 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
38 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
39 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
40 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
41 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
42 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
43 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
44 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
45 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
46 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
47 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
48 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
49 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
50 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
51 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
52 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
53 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
54 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
55 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
56 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Comb Duck in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Comb Duck sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 86 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Comb Duck in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Comb Duck in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.

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