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
29visible hotspots
1238visible 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.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
New South Wales
Queensland
Commonly confused with
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.→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.→Pacific Black DuckAnas superciliosaNote purple/green metallic panel on wing and slightly domed head. Hybridizes with Mallard. Similar to female Mallard but note Pacific Black Duck’s darker coloration and distinctive striped cream head with gray bill, darker legs and feet. Also look for green speculum with black border in flight.→