Pacific Black Duck: how to recognise it
A bird of Asia and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Tim · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Anas superciliosa
- Family
- Ducks, Geese, and Swans
- Size
- About 55 cm
- Habitat
- Lakes, wetlands and estuaries
- Found in
- Asia and Oceania
The key marks
A dark brown duck with a pale buff face crossed by two dark stripes, one through the eye and one on the cheek, and a green wing patch. Mallard hens are paler and mottled, with no bold face stripes; Mallard drakes have a glossy green head.
Voice
The female gives a loud quacking, much like a Mallard.
Good to know
Where it meets introduced Mallards, in New Zealand for example, the two interbreed, which threatens the pure native birds.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Mallard. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in lakes, wetlands and estuaries. It is especially common in Australia. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.