Huge, spoon-shaped bill visible at a distance and in flight.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyDucks, Geese, and Waterfowl
SizeLarge
RarityRare
Habitatherbaceous graminoids sparse hummock grasses, irrigated farmland, open woodland, waterbodies, and sparse woodland
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from May.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
27visible hotspots
704visible 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
Breeding males have dark green head, white breast, and chestnut sides and belly. Females buffy-brown with large, distinctive bill. Chalky-blue upperwing.
Behavior
Forages by sifting through the water, often swimming in spirals in groups.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Gray TealAnas gracilisPlain grayish mottled duck with a rounded crown. Note plain face lacking the bold stripes of Pacific Black Duck. White wing panels are distinctive in flight compared to purple/green of Pacific Black Duck. Told from female Chestnut Teal by the much paler neck/throat.→Freckled DuckStictonetta naevosaBeak 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.→Australasian ShovelerSpatula rhynchotisCompare this bird carefully in the field→