Pacific Black Duck
Anas superciliosa

Possibly Australia's best known duck the Black Duck is a common resident or nomad on wetlands, swamps and river systems throughout Australia. They are a surface feeding duck that takes both plant and animal food from the water by dabbling, dredging and upending. Aquatic insects account for a large part of their animal food but they also eat yabbies, crustaceans and fairy shrimps. Aquatic insects are the main food source for the young ducklings.

They nest in down-lined tree hollows or grass cups in reeds or grass. When the female leaves the nest to feed the male accompanies her and she very carefully covers the eggs with down. Usually 8 to 10 eggs are laid but it can be up to 13.

The biggest threat to it's survival is increasing drought, wetland loss to agriculture and interbreeding with the introduced Mallard with the resulting offspring being infertile mules.

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Photographed at Thylogale
by David & Diane Armbrust