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MUSK DUCK FACTS |
Description
The Musk Duck is a large brownish black Australian duck. It gets its name from the musky smell produced by a gland during the breeding season. Males are larger than females. Both males and females have the same dark colour with paler barring on the body. The bill is dark grey. The male has a lobe below the bill which can be inflated as part of a mating display. Musk Ducks are usually seen on open water away from land and they don't fly very often.
Size
50cm - 70cm
Habitat
freshwater lakes and wetlands with open water and reed beds, swamps
Food
feeds on insects, crustaceans, snails, frogs, fish. Also feeds on some water plants.
Breeding
The nest is a cup of plant matter lined with feathers amongst reeds or other dense vegetation, and protected by overhanging vegetation . Lays two to four (sometimes more) pale green eggs.
Range
found in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, eastern parts of South Australia and south west and west coast of Western Australia
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Anseriformes | | Family: | Anatidae | | Genus: | Biziura | | Species: | lobata | | Common Name: | Musk Duck |
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