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Research Article

The biometric characteristic of the Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758) from Western Pomerania (Poland)

Katarzyna Królaczyk ¹, Emil Dzierzba¹, Katarzyna Marta Kavetska ¹, Daniel Zaborski ² 

¹West Pomeranian University of Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, Department of Animal Anatomy and Zoology, Janickiego Str. 33, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland

²West Pomeranian University of Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, Department of Ruminants Science, Janickiego Str. 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 21(3), 2022, 25‒36
2. DOI: 10.21005/asp.2022.21.3.04

Abstract. The purpose of this work was to perform morphometric characteristics of the Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula obtained in Western Pomerania, according to their sex and age. The research material consisted of 197 Tufted Ducks obtained in December 2013. The biometric characteristics was performed on the basis of 20 measurements of linear and mass quantities. All internal organs measured and most of the individual body parts of the Tufted Duck were slightly larger in the case of males. Despite the differences in the body size of males and females, the studied birds showed similar variability in both length and mass. The differences between adult and young Tufted Ducks were not so well defined. Adult Tufted Ducks had significantly larger body mass, pectoral muscle mass and lung mass than juveniles. No significant differences were found in the linear values of the examined features.

Keywords: Morphometrics, Tufted Duck, Anseriformes, Poland