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Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) Alternate name(s): "Mould Goose", "Steamer", "Diving Duck*" Aboriginal name(s): "benalla", "berallah" (also "berala"), "nakkare", "pelde", "tatea", "modewarra", "tinbalong"; "bagabagaali" [yuwaalaraay], "biraala" [gamilaraay]; "kodara", "koodjak" (SW WA) Size: 60-70 cm (male), 47-55 cm (female) Weight: 2.4 kg (male), 1.5 kg (female) (average)

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Musk Ducks are large ducks that usually lie very low in the water. Their mainly dark-brown plumage is mottled with grey. The cap and nape of the neck are near-black. Male Musk Ducks have a large dark-brown bill lobe that females are missing. The stiff, stringy tail feathers of both sexes can be erected. Both sexes have dark irises. The massive, near triangular-shaped bill is dark-grey, the legs and feet are also dark-grey. Twitcher's tip Female Blue-billed Ducks and female Musk Ducks can be hard to distinguish. The most prominent difference is the shape of the bills. Female Blue-billed Ducks have a typical "duck-like" bill, while that of the female Musk Duck is much more massive, near-triangular and more reminiscent of a goose's bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Musk Duck at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Musk Duck is available HERE . Musk Ducks are endemic to Australia. Similar to Blue-billed Ducks, Musk Ducks are found only in the south-eastern and south-western parts of the Australian continent. Their range comprises basically all of Tasmania, VIC, NSW and the southernmost part of QLD, as well as the easternmost part of SA (including Innamincka), plus the south-west corner of WA. Musk Ducks are often found in densely vegetated swamps (both fresh water and saline) and also on open lakes.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Our first sighting of Musk Ducks was in March 2008 on two water storage dams in the area of Leigh Creek/Copley in South Australia, on the western side of the central Flinders Ranges. Musk Ducks are found only infrequently/irregularly on the western side of the Great Dividing Range. In October 2010 a female bird was seen by us at Narrabri Lake, Narrabri, NSW. Its identification (i.e., the distinction from a female Blue-billed Duck) was secured by comparison of the bills of the two species. A single male Musk Duck was spotted by us at New Quipolly Dam near Quirindi, NSW, in December 2013. Since then they are found by us at this location semi-regularly. A male Musk Duck was spotted at Dangars Lagoon, Uralla, NSW, in March 2012. C. Hayne reports that over 30 Musk Ducks were seen at Little Llangothlin NR, North of Guyra, in March 2012. J. Munro reports spotting a male Musk Duck on Penny Lake, King Island, near Tasmania, in December 2013. J. Greaves reports spotting Musk Ducks at Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, in January 2015, in Manjimup, WA, in March 2015, and at Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, in August 2015. R. Plumtreereports finding Musk Ducks at the Lake Bonney Riverland, Barmera, SA, in September 2018. M. Eaton reports spotting a Musk Duck at Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, in July 2019.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Musk Duck; note the distinctive lobe (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, August 2015]

Close-up lateral view of a male Musk Duck; note the distinctive lobe (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, August 2015]

Close-up lateral view of a male Musk Duck, now with its head turned (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, August 2015]

Lateral view of a male Musk Duck (photo courtesy of J. Munro)
[Penny Lake, King Island, Tasmania, December 2013]

Dorsal view of a male Musk Duck, with the bird's head turned, making the lobe prominently visible
[Dangars Lagoon, Uralla, NSW, March 2012]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Musk Duck; note the distinctive tail with stiff, pointy feathers
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Lateral view of a female Musk Duck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Lateral view of a female Musk Duck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Lateral view of a female Musk Duck lying lower in the water than shown above
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Musk Duck going for a dive
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

A moment later the distinctive tail is sticking out of the water like a whale's fluke
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Comparison of a female Musk Duck with a Pacific Black Duck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Musk Ducks are excellent divers which can move 50 or more meters in a single long dive.

Food, Diet

Unlike other geese, ducks and swans, Musk Ducks are not vegetarian. They feed, in addition to underwater plants, on water beetles, yabbies, water snails and freshwater shellfish.

Female Musk Duck eating a piece of an underwater plant
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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