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Very finely-speckled dark-grayish duck with a dark eye and an obvious peaked crown.
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
HabitatWetlands, floodplains, lakes, estuaries, and slow-moving waterways.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from December to May.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Frank Lambert
Range map
Range map
1416visible hotspots
36304visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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