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Musk DuckAlternate name(s): "Mould Goose", "Steamer", "Diving Duck*" ![]() "benalla", "berallah"/"berala", "nakkare", "pelde", "tatea", "modewarra", "tinbalong" Size: 60-70 cm (male), 47-55 cm (female) Weight: 2.4 kg (male), 1.5 kg (female) (average) |
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Similar |
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See Musk
Duck at Wikipedia |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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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]
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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]
Comparison of a female Musk Duck with a
Pacific Black Duck
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beardy Waters Dam, Glen Innes, NSW, July 2019]
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PAIR |
Male Musk Duck, left, displaying for a female
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2022]
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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]
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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]
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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]
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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
.