Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa Scientific name definitions

50–56 cm (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); male 747–1130 g, female 691–985 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Unmistakable with shape of slightly crested head and heavy-based bill diagnostic. Plumage appears almost black at distance, but is in fact dark grey-brown  , except buff to warm brown undertail-coverts, dark brown primaries and has whitish-speckled underwing-coverts; no speculum on wing (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Female has paler and less contrasting plumage, especially head; in addition, male has bright red base to upper mandible in breeding season, which fades to dull red in non-breeding season, while rest of bill is slate-grey (female  always has entire bill this colour); legs dull slate-grey and iris dark brown in both sexes (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). No eclipse plumage. Might be confused with Anas superciliosa and especially Aythya australis, but latter has white undertail-coverts and obvious white wingbar in flight, among other features, while first-named has quite different head and bill shapes, and obvious facial pattern that is lacking in present species. Juvenile resembles female but is paler with finer and deeper buff freckles; male begins to show characteristic bill coloration at c. 6 months and has apparently longer head than female (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Australia, mainly in SE & SW.

Freshwater lakes and marshes with abundant emergent and fringe vegetation , especially Muehlenbeckia, teatree (Melaleuca) (2 Chapman, A. and Lane, J.A.K. (1997). Waterfowl usage of wetlands in the south-east arid interior of Western Australia 1992–93. Emu. 97(1): 51–59. Close ) or canegrass (Eragrostis) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Also occurs, principally in non-breeding season, on coastal lagoons of brackish to even hypersaline waters and floodplains, frequently with little or no emergent vegetation (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), but never occupies marine or estuarine habitats (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Occurs irregularly outside main centres of distribution, with dispersive movements particularly linked to water availability and extent of flooding, concentrating on permanent wetlands during dry season or drought periods (e.g. that in Oct 1982) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close , 3 Wood, K.A. and Simcock, R.A. (1993). Birds of the Illawarra District, 1982–87. Emu. 93(3): 137–144. Close ). May be encountered almost anywhere in Australia but only exceptionally in Tasmania, although species is periodically common on Kangaroo I (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Mainly vegetarian; algae, seeds and green parts of aquatic plants, grasses and minor quantities of aquatic invertebrates (insects). Forages by upending in shallow water, bottom filtering, dabbling and wading along shore and nibbling on surface, diving only to escape danger or when bathing (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Most feeding is either crepuscular or nocturnal, but will forage at any time of day (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Generally silent and / or calls difficult to detect in the field, perhaps most frequently given during display, but even then comparatively inconspicuous; most adult vocalizations are described as between soft growls or snorting hisses, with the so-called “Raucous Roar” given by both sexes, with the bill open, sounding somewhat querulous and vibrant, while male’s “Axle-grind” is a complex double squeaky note (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Females give throaty chuckling notes (the so-called “Head-Raised-Chin-Lift” call), a loud clipped roar in alarm, which becomes more explosive in defence of nest or brood, and other soft calls (only ever audible except at close range), while recently hatched ducklings give cricket-like trills, which becomes modified with age, but is still uttered when young are fully feathered (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Season largely determined by flooding conditions but broadly Jun–Dec, with young in Jan–Feb in SE Western Australia (2 Chapman, A. and Lane, J.A.K. (1997). Waterfowl usage of wetlands in the south-east arid interior of Western Australia 1992–93. Emu. 97(1): 51–59. Close ) (in captivity in UK, breeds mostly Apr to late Jul) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Builds bowl-shaped nest of finely woven twigs and debris (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), with some down added (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), sited among reedbeds, lignum (Muehlenbeckia cunninghamii) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) or on water, sometimes on densely vegetated banks of streams or billabongs, and may usurp nest of other waterbirds, especially coots (Fulica) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Average seven pale creamy white eggs  (5–10, but larger clutches perhaps due to egg dumping, which may occur at any time during egg-laying cycle), size at least 62·4–64·2 mm × 45·3–47 mm, mean mass 75·9 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation c. 26–31 days, by female alone, guarded by male (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); chicks  have pale grey down, even paler below, with pale grey legs, grey-blue bill (although blue tone is lost well before fledging) and black-brown iris (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), with hatch weight of c. 40–50 g, remain in nest c. 24 hours then taken to water by female (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); fledging c. 7–9 weeks (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Sexual maturity reached by females at two years (in captivity), but no data on breeding success, adult survival or longevity (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fully protected throughout Australia (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). In 1980s, total population estimated at 19,000 birds in E Australia, with c. 3000 birds in Victoria , but only c. 1000 in isolated W population, where locally common on Rowles Lagoon system in arid interior of SE Western Australia (2 Chapman, A. and Lane, J.A.K. (1997). Waterfowl usage of wetlands in the south-east arid interior of Western Australia 1992–93. Emu. 97(1): 51–59. Close ); however, estimates of global population over last three decades suggest anything between 5000 and 120,000 birds (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), with overall numbers most recently placed at 7300–17,000 mature individuals by BirdLife International and abundance appears to be correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (4 Chambers, L., Hughes, L. and Weston, M.A. (2005). Climate change and its impact on Australia’s avifauna. Emu 1985(1): 1–298. Close ). Considered threatened in some states, including New South Wales (5 Smith, P.J., Pressey, R.L. and Smith, J.E. (1994). Birds of particular conservation concern in the Western Division of New South Wales. Biological Conservation. 69(3): 315–338. Close ). In Jan–Feb 1983, during period of drought, 8000 counted in E Australia, with more than 700 at L Salisbury, New South Wales. Major concentrations recorded in Paroo-Warrego catchment (Currawinya lakes), Eyre-Georgine-Mulligan catchment (L Torquinie) and possibly at L Galilee, with substantial numbers also recorded at Cooper’s Creek and Bulloo R catchments, the Barkly Tablelands, and L Gregory in CN Western Australia; for example, 755 were estimated during an aerial survey of L Blanche (Cooper’s Creek drainage) in Feb 1991 (6 Kingsford, R.T., Curtin, A.L. and Porter, J. (1999). Water flows on Cooper Creek in arid Australia determine ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ periods for waterbirds. Biological Conservation. 88(2): 231–248. Close ). Decline in recent decades as many freshwater wetlands which were previously suitable for breeding have been destroyed or modified by drainage, flood mitigation works, clearing, grazing, burning, salinization or increased flooding; for example, species formerly bred on many seasonally ephemeral coastal swamps that are now lost (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Plans to extract water from Paroo R and Cooper’s Creek, although currently shelved, would affect flooding of critical inland swamps and constitute greatest current threat. For the time being these plans have been shelvedIllegal hunting persists, and species under severe pressure, because easy to shoot and tends to form large concentrations in parts of S, in connection with droughts. In Victoria, pre-season counts started in 1987 to identify wetlands with large numbers of present species, in order to establish temporary closure to shooting; waterfowl identification tests for licensed shooters introduced in 1989. Also threatened by human disturbance in areas used for recreation. Captive breeding groups have been established in UK and North America (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).