Comb Duck
Comb DuckComb DuckComb DuckComb Duck

Comb Duck

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Ankarafantsika National Park
2 Verified sightings at Ankarafantsika National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,926 Verified sightings across all 57 parks From 2019 to 2026
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Comb Duck

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.

Uncertainty surrounds the correct systematic placement of this species. Initially, it was placed in the dabbling duck subfamily Anatinae. Later, it was assigned to the "perching ducks", a paraphyletic assemblage of waterfowl most of which are intermediate between dabbling ducks and shelducks. As the "perching ducks" were split up, the knob-billed duck was moved to the Tadorninae or shelduck subfamily.

Analysis of mtDNA sequences of the cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes, however, suggests that it is a quite basal member... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ankarafantsika National Park

White-faced Whistling Duck
LC

White-faced Whistling Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna viduata

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Red-billed Teal
LC

Red-billed Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas erythrorhyncha

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bernier's Teal
EN Endemic

Bernier's Teal

Bird

Anas bernieri

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
2 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
3 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
4 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
5 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~20%
6 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
7 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
8 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
9 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
10 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
11 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
12 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
13 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
14 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
16 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
17 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
18 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
19 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
20 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
21 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
22 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
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 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
45 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
46 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
47 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
48 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
49 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
50 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
51 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
52 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
53 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
54 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
55 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
56 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
57 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
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