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Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura Australis)

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Blue-billed Duck

Appearance:
Male - The male Blue-billed Duck has a deep chestnut body, a black head and neck, a blue beak, brown eyes, white abdomen, grey-black tail, and the legs and feet are grey.
Female - The female has a brown barred body, dark-brown head which is paler on the throat and neck, and dark-brown beak.
Eclipse - The male in eclipse plumage is similar to the female but has a darker head and neck and the flanks are pale brown or chestnut.

Size: - Typical Adult is 35-41cm (14-16in).

Food: - Aquatic plants, seeds, aquatic insects, larvae, crustaceans and molluscs.

Habitat/Range: - Freshwater swamps, marshes, and large rivers in Western and south-eastern Australia, and Tasmania.

Breeding Season: - September to November in Western Australia and October to March in south-eastern Australia.

Blue-billed Duck Map
Breeding Habitat/Resident,    Migration or Winter Area.



Eggs: - 5 to 6 (pale green or whitish colour).

Notes: - The Blue-billed Duck is an Australian Stiff-tail duck. The tail is usually held flat in the water but will be held erect during courtship displays or when it is being defensive.

Conservation status (IUCN 3.1):
  Near Threatened.  

Classification: - Family: Anatidae,
Subfamily: Oxyurinae, Genus: Oxyura.


Wildfowl (Alphabetical order):
A-B    C-F    G-L    M-R    S-Z   





Photographs

Blue-billed Duck
Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura Australis) -



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