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Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) Alternate name(s): "Mould Goose", "Steamer", "Diving Duck*" Aboriginal name(s): "bagabagaali" [yuwaalaraay], "biraala" [gamilaraay]; "murdjam" [western bundjalung]; "ngunyawil" [tjapwurrung]; "nganimil" [eastern djadjawurrung]; "kodara", "koodjak" (SW WA); "benalla", "berallah"/"berala", "nakkare", "pelde", "tatea", "modewarra", "tinbalong" Size: 60-70 cm (male), 47-55 cm (female) Body mass: 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. Apart from being smaller than adults, juveniles and chicks are already similar in colouring, only with more "hairy" plumage, and their shorter, convex bill has an orange-coloured lower mandible. 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 bill. 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, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual 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 SA, 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. Next, a male was found at the same location in March 2021. 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 Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, in August 2015. C. Pears reports finding Musk Ducks semi-regularly in various wetlands in Perth, WA, such as Lake Herdsman, Lake Monger and Perry Lakes. R. Plumtree reports 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. V. Collins reports finding Musk Ducks at Dangars Lagoon, near Uralla, NSW, in January 2021.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Note the male's inflatable bill lobe, left, that the female does not have.

Male Musk Duck, left, displaying for a female (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2022]

MALE

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

Close-up lateral view of a male Musk Duck looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2015]

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

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

Near-dorsal view of a male Musk Duck (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Dangars Lagoon, Uralla, NSW, January 2021]

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]

Lateral view of a female Musk Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Quindalup, WA, April 2021]

Direct lateral comparison of a female Musk Duck, front right, with a female Blue-billed Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, April 2025]

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

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Musk Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Musk Duck looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a female Musk Duck, right, with a dependent juvenile (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Musk Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up dorsal view of a juvenile Musk Duck looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Musk Duck with a duckling (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Musk duckling hitching a ride on mum's back (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

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.

Near-lateral view of a 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]

Male Musk Ducks perform elaborate courtship displays to attract the attention of a female. Apart from inflating the throat sac/lobe, the male will first cock its tail with spiny feathers erect, then splash it down on the water's surface while calling (below).

muskduck_cp_20220823_4.mp3	(SW WA)	Courtship display call (male)	© CP
muskduck_cp_20220823.mp3	(SW WA)	Courtship display calls (male)	© CP

Male Musk Duck, back, displaying for a female (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2022]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Musk Duck displaying for a female (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2022]

Female Musk Duck leading a dependent juvenile onto dry land (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Female Musk Duck and dependent juvenile resting on dry land (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

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, small fish and freshwater shellfish.

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

Female Musk Duck feeding a dependent juvenile a fish (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Female Musk Duck feeding a dependent juvenile a fish (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

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.

muskduck_cp_20220823_4.mp3	(SW WA)	Plonk/whistle courtship display call (male)	© CP
muskduck_cp_20220823.mp3	(SW WA)	3 plonk courtship display calls (male) + ?	© CP

More Musk Duck sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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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