The torrent duck lives on fast rivers in the Andes. It dives into the current to catch aquatic insect larvae and other small prey.
It has a sleek body, powerful legs, and long claws for holding onto slippery rocks. Its long, bright red bill helps it search beneath rocks for larvae. Males have a white head and neck with a black stripe through the eye. Females have a grey head and neck and a cinnamon-red underside. The color pattern also varies by region.
It dives in fast rivers to find aquatic insect larvae, small fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. It also forages in slower eddies and beneath rocks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.