A nomadic duck that appears and disappears unpredictably across inland wetlands following rainfall events.
VIC: Vulnerable; WA: Vulnerable; NT: Endangered
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Canvasback, Oatmeal Duck, Speckled Duck, Diamantina Duck, Monkey Duck
At a glance
FamilyDucks, Geese, and Waterfowl
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatThese birds are usually present in mainland Australia, but disperse to coastal and subcostal wetlands in the dry period.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from December to May.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Frank Lambert
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
37648approx records
8states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Beak is strongly curved like a ski-jump. Breeding males have a red base to their bill. Upper-wing is dark, while under-wing is paler gray. When perched, distinguish from Hardhead (which have a pale belly patch). More reliable inland, but can be common one year and absent the next from any given location.
Behavior
Generally uncommon; found beside inland waterholes and ponds.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Western Australia
Queensland
Victoria
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory
Tasmania
Commonly confused with
Cape Barren GooseCereopsis novaehollandiaeNote pale yellow and slightly drooping bill.→Wandering Whistling-DuckDendrocygna arcuataOften in smaller flocks around lakes, ponds, and dams. As the name suggests, note whistling call.→MallardAnas platyrhynchosMales are distinctive with iridescent green head, yellow bill, chestnut breast, and gray body. Females are mottled brown with orange and black splotches on the bill. In North America, females can be tricky to distinguish from American Black Duck, Mottled Duck, and Mexican Duck where ranges overlap. Those species are all darker-bodied than Mallard. A good view of the wing can be helpful, too: white wingbars on the leading and trailing edges of the blue wing patch are bolder on Mallard. Frequently hybridizes with those species, which can be even more confusing. Any bird with extensive white in the tail or curled feathers above the tail has some Mallard genes.→