Adults have a black knob on top of the bill.
Not listed
Indigenous: White Swan
At a glance
FamilyDucks, Geese, and Waterfowl
SizeLarge
RarityUncommon
Habitatwoody trees scattered, sparse woodland, grassland, open woodland, and closed forest
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from January to March.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Stanislas Wroza
Range map
Range map
29approx hotspots
1286approx records
3states
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
Immatures are dusky brown with a gray bill. Often seen in pairs or small family groups.
Behavior
Feeds on aquatic vegetation by dabbling and upending, forms long-term pairs, and aggressively defends breeding territories.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Western Australia
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Graylag GooseAnser anserLarge gray goose. Compare to other gray geese, which differ in details of bill pattern and color, head and neck pattern, and have dark underwings.→Muscovy DuckCairina moschataWild birds are dark blackish overall with iridescent green and bronze, especially on the wings. Look for bold white wing patches in flight and red warts on the face (more extensive on males). Occurs extensively throughout Middle and South America, but typically scarce. Very restricted range in the U. S., only known from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Plumage varies from all white to all black, typically with more extensive red warts on the face than wild birds. There is a well-established feral population in Florida, with smaller domestic populations spread across the globe.→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.→