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
37634approx 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
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Northern Territory
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory