From Opus

Photo by Lindsay Cooke
Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

Oxyura australis

[edit] Identification

40cm. Non breeding Male - slate-blue bill, glossy black head and neck, chestnut back and wings, grey feet, brown iris. Breeding Male - bright blue bill, black head with white specks, dark grey body. Female - dark brown head, mottled back and wings, dark grey brown bill and feet, brown iris. Immature - similar to adult female, paler and grey-green bill.

[edit] Distribution

Southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the south west of Western Australia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Deep freshwater swamps with dense vegetation.

[edit] Behaviour

The female builds the nest. 3-12 eggs (usually 5-6) are laid and incubated for 26-28 days.

The diet includes molluscs, caddis flies, dragonflies, water beetle larvae as well as seeds, buds, and fruit of emergent and submerged plants.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of Blue-billed Duck in the gallery