How to identify common ducks
4 minute read
Here’s how to identify four common Australian duck species - Australian Wood Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck. You will also learn the difference between the appearance of males and females.
Australian Wood Duck
An upright duck that nests in tree-hollows and can make lots of noise when perched on branches.
Female: black mane, pale eye stripes, shorter bill
Male: black mane, chestnut head, spotted head
Chestnut Teal
Small dabbling duck with a rounded head and high forehead.
Female: mottled dark brown and grey feathers, darker feathers around the eye
Male: dark metallic green head, white patch on lower wing, black tail
Grey Teal
Small duck with mottled grey-brown feathers and a rounded head. Tell it apart from the female Chestnut Teal by looking at its pale neck and throat.
Pacific Black Duck
Mottled brown dabbling duck with distinctive black stripes through its eye. It also has black chin stripes and a purple/green metallic panel on its wing.
Weekend Birder episodes
Learn more about ducks and waterbirds in these short podcast episodes:
