2 |
![]() |
Blue-billed DuckAlternate name(s): "Spiny-tailed Duck", "Diving Duck*", "Stiff-tailed Duck", "Little Musk Duck" ![]() Size: 36-44 cm Weight: 0.6-1.2 kg |
![]() |
Similar |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
![]() |
ADULT |
![]() |
MALE |
![]() |
BREEDING |
Close-up frontal view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage;
note the characteristic blue bill
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Frontal view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Near-frontal view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Close-up lateral view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Close-up lateral view of a resting male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Lateral view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Galletly, Gatton, QLD, August 2022]
Lateral view of a male Blue-billed Duck
[Old Quipolly Dam, Quirindi, NSW, April 2012]
Lateral view of a preening male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a resting male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, January 2015]
Dorsal view of a male Blue-billed Duck in breeding
plumage resting on a pond
![]() |
FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female Blue-billed Duck
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Near-frontal view of a female Blue-billed Duck looking sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Galletly, Gatton, QLD, August 2022]
Near-lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, November 2022]
Near-lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Close-up lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, November 2022]
Lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]
Lateral view of a preening female Blue-billed Duck
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]
Lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck resting on a pond
![]() |
PAIR |
Lateral view of a pair of Blue-billed Ducks
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2010]
Lateral view of a pair of Blue-billed Ducks
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2010]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a moulting male Blue-billed Duck; the rather short
bill suggests that this may be an immature bird, rather than an
adult male
moulting from eclipse into breeding
plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2010]
Near-lateral view of a Blue-billed Duck; the prominent barring
and pinkish gape suggest that this may be an immature bird
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Lateral view of an immature(?) Blue-billed Duck flapping its wings
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]
Lateral view of a female Blue-billed Duck with 5 ducklings
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, October 2022]
![]() |
Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Dispersive/sedentary | Elementary unit: Pair |
A male was observed by us "patrolling" a stretch of reeds, paddling both ways, either on open water or in or behind the reeds, as if to protect its territory. The male also repeatedly bobbed its head and tried to impress a female seen by us. If indeed territorial behaviour, Blue-billed Ducks may have been breeding at Narrabri Lake in the breeding season of 2010/11.
Male Blue-billed Duck displaying its tail for a female
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, July 2016]
Male Blue-billed Duck, right, trying to impress a female, left
- first he made a big splash and then dashed across the lake,
to the left, at top speed - here he is seen "revving up"
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, July 2016]
Blue-billed Ducks resting on open water
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, April 2021]
Blue-billed Ducks resting on open water
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, April 2021]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Unlike other geese, ducks and swans, Blue-billed Ducks are not vegetarian. Apart from underwater plants, they also feed on aquatic invertebrates.
![]() |
Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
blubill_20161208_2.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Squabbling (with wing beats) | © MD |
We have also recorded the wing beats of a Blue-billed Duck.
blubill_20161208.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Male display | © MD |
More Blue-billed Duck sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.