Pacific Black Duck
| Pacific Black Duck Conservation status: Lower risk (lc) | ||||||||||||||
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| A male | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Anas superciliosa Gmelin, 1789 |
The Pacific Black Duck, Anas superciliosa, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand.
This sociable duck is found in a variety of wetland habitats, and its nesting habits are much like those of the Mallard, which is encroaching on its range in New Zealand. It feeds by upending, like other Anas ducks.
It has a dark body, and a paler head with a darkcrown and facial stripes. In flight it shows a green speculum and pale underwing. All plumages are similar. The size range is 54–61cm; males tend to be larger than females, and some island forms are smaller and darker than the main populations.
Reference
- Wildfowl by Madge and Burn, ISBN 0–7470–2201–1