This lifeform is found south of the Equator in the New World tropics.

Versicolor Teal (Anas versicolor) is found only in the New World tropics. It breeds in Argentina and Chile and migrates north to Brazil for the winter. This teal is common and the blue tipped bill with a pale brown pattern helps identify this species.

There is a separate Andean race that lives in the high altitudes of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia.

Surface Ducks (Tribe or Subfamily Anatinae) contains the
familiar ducks. Wood Ducks, Teals, and Mallards belong here.

The six species of Shelducks (genus Tadorna) are included although some scientists give that genus a tribe status.

Steamer Ducks (Genus Tachyeres) are also included although some scientists also give that group tribe status.

Also included are the various Cyanochen and Chloephaga genera although that group is also sometimes given tribe status.

Following is a list of 80 species that includes species within each group:

  MISCELLANEOUS GEESE-LIKE DUCKS (8 SPECIES)

  Cyanochen cyanopterus   Blue Wing Goose   Africa
  Chloephaga hybrida      Kelp Goose        South America
  Chloephaga melanoptera  Andean Goose      South America
  Chloephaga picta        Magellan Goose    South America
  Chloephaga poliocephala Ashy Head Goose   South America
  Chloephaga rubidiceps   Ruddy Head Goose  South America
  Neochen jubatus         Orinoco Goose     South America
  Alopochen aegypticus    Egyptian Goose    Africa        

  SHELDUCKS (7 SPECIES)

  Tadorna cana            Cape              South Africa
  Tadorna cristata        Crested           EXTINCT   Korea
  Tadorna ferruginea      Ruddy             Asia, Africa, & India
  Tadorna tadornoides     Australian        Australia
  Tadorna tadorna         Common            Eurasia
  Tadorna radjah          Radjah            Austr. and N.Guinea
  Tadorna variegata       Paradise          New Zealand

  STREAMER DUCKS (4 SPECIES)

  Tachyeres patachonicus   Flying           Chile and Argentina
  Tachyeres pteneres       Magellan         Chile
  Tachyeres leocophalus    White Head       Argentina
  Tachyeres brachypterus   Falkland         Falkland Islands

  PERCHING DUCKS (15 SPECIES)

  Aix sponsa                Wood            North America
  Aix galericulata          Mandarin        Orient and introduced
  Cairina hartlaubi         Hartlaub        West Africa
  Cairina moschata          Muscovy         South America
  Cairina scutulata         White Wing      India to Java
  Sarkidornis melanotos     Comb            South of Equator
  Nettapus pulchellus       Green Pygmy     Austr. & New Guinea
  Nettapus coromandelianus  Cotton Teal     India to Australia

  Nettapus auritus          African Pygmy   Africa
  Callonetta leucophrys     Ringed Teal     South America
  Chenonetta jubata         Austral. Wood   Australia
  Amazonetta brasiliensis   Amazon Teal     South America
  Hymenolaimus malacorhyn.  Blue            New Zealand
  
  Merganetta armata         Torrent         Andes
  Salvadorini waiguinsis    Salvador's      New Guinea

  DABBLING DUCKS (46 SPECIES)

  Anas acuta                N. Teal         Holarctic
  Anas america              Amer. wigeon    New World
  Anas aucklandia           N. Zelnd Teal   New Zealand
  Anas bahamensis           Bahama Pintail  Amer Tropics
  Anas bernieri             Madgscr Teal    Madagascar
  Anas capensis             Cape Teal       Africa
  Anas carolinensis         Grn Wing Teal   North America
  Anas castanea             Chestnut Brst   Australia

  Anas clypeata             Northern Shov   Northern Hemisphere
  Anas crecca               Grn Wng Teal    Old World
  Anas cyanoptera           Cinamon Teal    New World
  Anas discors              Blue Wng Teal   New World
  Anas erythrorhynchos      Red Bill P-Tl   Africa
  Anas falcata              Falcated Teal   Eurasia
  Anas flavirostris         Chilean Teal    Neotropic
  Anas formosa              Baikal Teal     Old World

  Anas fulvigula            Florida Duck    South United States
  Anas gibberifrons         Gray Teal       Orient & Australia
  Anas georgica             Georgian Teal   Neotropic
  Anas laysanensis          Laysan Teal     Pacific Isles
  Anas luzonica             Philippine Duck Orient
  Anas melleri              Mellers Duck    Africa
  Anas penelope             European Wign   Old World
  Anas platalea             Argentine Shvl  South America

  Anas platyhynchos         Mallard         Worldwide
  Anas poecilorhyncha       SpotBill        Old World
  Anas punctata(=hottentota)Hottentot       Africa
  Anas querquedula          Garganey        Old World
  Anas rubriceps            NA Black Duck   North America
  Anas rhychotis            Australian Shl  Australian
  Anas sibilatrix           Chiloe Wigeon   Neotropic
  Anas smithi               Cape Shoveler   Africa

  Anas strepera             Gadwal          Worldwide
  Anas sparsa               Afr Black Duck  Africa
  Anas specularis           Bronze Wing     South America
  Anas specularoides        Crested Duck    South America
  Anas supercilosa          Pacific Black   Orient/Australian
  Anas undulata             Afr Yellow Bill Africa
  Anas versicolor           Versicolor Tl   South America
  Anas waigiuensis          Salvador Duck   Australia Region

  Malacorhynchus membran.   Pink Ear        Australia  
  Marmaronetta angustiros.  Marbled Teal    Near East and Africa
  
  Netta erythrophthalma     Southern Poch   Africa and S America
  Netta peposaca            Rosybill        South America
  Netta rufina              Red Crested     Eurasia
  Rhondonessa caryophyll.   Pink Head       EXTINCT Orient

Duck and Geese Family (Family Anatidae) contains the familiar  ducks and geese. There are about one hundred and fifty-three species in this family.

Some forms are sometimes regarded as species, and at other times are regarded as subspecies. An attempt has been made here to include as species those forms that frequently appear both ways (Anas crecca/carolinensis, for example).

It is also difficult to exactly count the species, as some authors ignore recently extinct species, and other authors include them in their counts. The following recent extinctions have also been included in the lists that follow as these may cause problems for the taxonomist trying to tie out exact counts:

         Labrador Duck         Camptorhynchus labradorius
         Korean Shelduck       Tadorna cristata
         Madagascan White-Eye  Aythya innotata
         Auckland Merganser    Mergus australis
         Pink Headed Duck      Rhodonessa caryophyllaca

This family is usually divided into several tribes as it helps the taxonomist and student alike in learning the many species. There is no agreement upon the natural subdivisions of this family. The following divisions were arbitrarily chosen and placed into alphabetical order:

        Surface Ducks      Anatinae        80 species
        Geese and Swans    Anserinae       33 species
        Diving Ducks       Aythyinae       25 species
        Mergansers         Mergini          6 species
        Ruddy Ducks        Oxyurinae        9 species
                                 Total    153 species

Waterfowl Order (Order Anseriformes) contains two different
families of rather divergent appearance and habitat. The South American (Neotropical) Screamers contain three species, and the worldwide ducks and geese contain about 153 species to total about 156 species in the order. Actually, at least five of these species are recently extinct, so there are less than the above numbers remaining.

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago.  However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.