Habitat: The species can be found near large bodies of water. Distribution: Aythya affinis breeds in western and northern parts of North America and winters south to northern South America, including Panama. Natural History Notes: Conservation status according to IUCN 2008 Red list: Least Concern (LC). Characteristics: The total length of this species varies between 40.64 cm and 45.72 cm (measured from tip of bill to end of tail). The male has a black head and the chest, neck and rest of the body are of a grayish coloration. The female is brown with a darker brown coloration on the above and also has a well-defined white patch at the base of the bill (beak). When they fly, we can see prominent white strip on the flight feathers.