From Opus

Poliocephalus poliocephalus

Photo by Tom Tarrant

Identification

Adult breeding: brownish-grey above and whitish below with grey upper breast and brownish-grey flanks. Forehead grey-brown darkening towards black hindcrown and nape with whitish streaks over head and cheeks giving a hoary appearance, chin black. Iris usually pale yellowish-white, bill black with white tip, legs olive-green. Adult non-breeding: generally duller and greyer, streaking on head much reduced but dark cap retained. Juvenile: as non-breeding adult but with indistinctly striped face. Flight: broad white trailing edge to secondaries on upperwing which continues across most of the primaries. Length 29-31cm.

Distribution

Southern half of Australia and Tasmania.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Lakes, reservoirs and large swamps.

Behaviour

Breeds November-January or after rains. Nest is a floating heap of vegetation Eggs: 3-6, greenish-white to pale blue initially.

Diet includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates.

External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID