2

Pacific Black Duck

(Anas superciliosa)
: "Black Duck", "Grey Duck", "Australian Wild Duck", "Brown Duck", "Parera"

Aboriginal name(s): "budhanbaa" [yuwaalaraay], "garrangay" [gamilaraay]; "yet", "ngoonana", "bandji" (WA); "ngari" [yartwatjali, tjapwurrung, djadjawurrung]; "barana", "boorandarra", "currinda", "kooberi", "kooroola", "kumboora", "kurrungi", "maneroo", "mooree", "mara", "koona"
Size: 48-60 cm; wing span 80-94 cm
Weight: 0.87-1.14 kg

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Pacific Black Ducks have dark-brown feathers with light-brown edges, giving them a mottled look. The head is light-brown, with a dark-brown eye stripe and a narrower second stripe under the eye. The only minute difference between the sexes is that male Pacific Ducks have a black crown, while that of females is dark-brown. The speculum is purple to green, the bill is grey, while legs and feet are greyish yellow-green.

Taxonomy, classification

See Pacific Black 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 Pacific Black Duck is available HERE .

Pacific Black Ducks are found in Australasia, from Australia and New Zealand to eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

Pacific Black Ducks can be found almost anywhere on the Australian continent. After substantial rainfall this includes even the driest parts of the continent, i.e. the region from the Nullarbor through the Pilbara in WA and the Kimberley. They are also found in Tasmania.

Pacific Black Ducks are usually found around fresh water such as rivers, creeks, freshwater lakes and swamps and marshes. In the most arid parts of the continent, even a tiny permanent waterhole may host a pair of Pacific Black Ducks.

Where to look? How to find this species?

Pacific Black Ducks can become quite docile and are often found most easily on ponds and lakes in urban parks.

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Pacific Black Ducks are permanent residents around various waters in inland NSW, including the area of Narrabri, NSW.

They are seen by us regularly at various lakes, dams and other wetlands in inland NSW, including e.g. Eulah Creek, Maules Creek, Narrabri Lake, Whittaker's Lagoon and Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW.

Pacific Black Ducks were also spotted by us in a permanent waterhole in a creek in the Gammon Ranges, SA, in March 2008 (near the end of a 10-year inland drought).

Pacific Black Ducks were also spotted by us in many locations in central QLD, in particular also, in large numbers, in the wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, in July 2009. Special access to the wetlands kindly granted by the owners of Capricorn Resort is most gratefully acknowledged.

Pacific Black Ducks have also been reported to us from various parts of VIC and WA.

H. Mouritsen reports spotting Pacific Black Ducks at Fogg Dam NR, NT, in October 2015.

P. Brown reports spotting Pacific Black Ducks at Sanctuary Lake, Palmerston, NT, in February 2018.

C. Pears found Pacific Black Ducks at Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, SA, in August 2017. They are also found regularly in Quindalup. WA.

J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found Pacific Black Ducks at Lake Barrine, QLD, in February 2019.

Photos

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

Note that the birds shown here are much darker than representations in field guides. Although the infall of sunlight can influence a lot the appearance of ducks in general, in this case this is a systematic effect.

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Pacific Black Duck - note the black crown (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Pacific Black Duck (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Sanctuary Lake, Palmerston, NT, February 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Pacific Black Duck with 3 ducklings (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Lateral view of a male Pacific Black Duck
[Old Quipolly Dam, Quirindi, NSW, April 2012]

Lateral view of a resting male Pacific Black Duck
[Mudgee, NSW, December 2015]

Near-dorsal view of two male Pacific Black Ducks resting in shallow water (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mt. Tamborine, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Pacific Black Duck (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Sanctuary Lake, Palmerston, NT, February 2018]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Pacific Black Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Pacific Black Duck; now one can see clearly the green speculum
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Depending on the angle of sunlight hitting a feather, a male Pacific Black Duck's speculum can appear either purple, green or blue (photos courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]

For those who like diversity: Male Pacific Black Duck (front left), Royal Spoonbill (right) and Masked Lapwing (rear left)
[20 km South of Narrabri, 2006]

Lateral view of a male Pacific Black Duck in flight, with a brilliant display of its iridescent speculum; at this angle it looks turquoise (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2015]

Lateral view of a male Pacific Black Duck in flight, with a brilliant display of its iridescent speculum; now it looks blue
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2015]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Pacific Black Duck - note the dark-brown crown, rather than black (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2014]

Frontal view of a Pacific Black Duck
[New Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, December 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a female Pacific Black Duck looking backwards, with a beautiful view of its speculum
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2020]

Lateral view of a female Pacific Black Duck (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)

This female Pacific Black Duck has just been feeding under water
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2010]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Pacific Black Duck
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2009]

Dorsal view of a female(?) Pacific Black Duck
[Mudgee, NSW, December 2015]

Direct comparison between a female Pacific Black Duck, right, and a male Hardhead, left
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2014]

Close-up near-lateral view of a female Pacific Black Duck in flight (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lake Barrine, QLD, February 2019]

PAIR

Close-up frontal/lateral view of a pair of Pacific Black Ducks; note how the light conditions make the determination of the sexes very difficult - the male is at the back right, the female, in the shade, appears to have an identical crown
[Narrabri, NSW, July 2009]

Lateral view of a pair of Pacific Black Ducks in an urban park; note how in the shade they really appear to be black... male on the right, female on the left
[Narrabri, NSW, September 2007]

Lateral view of a pair of Pacific Black Ducks with the male, at the back, displaying his white underwings
[Pilliga NP, NSW, March 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Pacific Black Ducks
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2010]

Sex unknown

Comparison between Pacific Black Ducks, right, and a Wandering Whistling-Duck, left (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Lateral view of Pacific Black Ducks in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Near-dorsal view of Pacific Black Ducks in flight
[Pilliga NP, NSW, June 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Pacific Black Duck in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2012]

Pacific Black Duck with a deformed bill

Close-up frontal view of a Pacific Black Duck with a deformed bill and lolling tongue (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, May 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a Pacific Black Duck with a deformed bill and lolling tongue (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, May 2023]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Pacific Black Duck
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2020]

Lateral view of a moulting juvenile Pacific Black Duck
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2011]

Juvenile Pacific Black Duck dabbling in shallow water, right; its sibling ("Clever Clogs") on the left has found a way to feed while walking around the edge of the water
[Narrabri, NSW, January 2020]

Frontal view of a Pacific Black duckling (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Frontal view of a Pacific Black Duck duckling (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD]

Frontal view of a Pacific Black Duck with a duckling (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2015]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Pacific Black Duck duckling (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Close-up lateral view of a Pacific Black Duck with 3 ducklings (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a resting Pacific Black duckling (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Close-up view of two snoozing Pacific Black ducklings (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Lateral view of a Pacific Black Duck family with tiny ducklings
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Lateral view of four Pacific Black Duck ducklings in their parents' wake
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Sedentary/nomadic Elementary unit: Pair

This photo shows that Pacific Black Ducks also sometimes enter suburban gardens (photo courtesy of K. Lacanau)
[Rowville, VIC, May 2013]

5 juvenile Pacific Black Ducks in a huddle (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]

Pacific Black Ducks can interbreed with Mallards
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2013]

Pacific Black Ducks can interbreed with Mallards
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2013]

Food, Diet

Like most ducks, Pacific Black Ducks feed on underwater plants. While some duck species dive to get to their food, Pacific Black Ducks (and many other species), feed in shallow water, with their back sticking out as shown below.

There is a separate page describing a large flock of Pacific Black Ducks feeding en masse on a recently ploughed fallow field with a lot of wheat chaff lying on the ground, by the side of Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in March 2023.

Pacific Black Duck feeding
[Old Quipolly Dam, Quirindi, NSW, April 2012]

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.

pacduck_20200215.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in flight)	© MD
pacduck_20151203.m4a	(W NSW)	Contact calls? (female)	© MD
pacduck_20200619.m4a	(NW NSW)	Warning calls (juveniles)	© MD

We have also recorded the wing beats of a Pacific Black Duck.

pacduck_20211116.m4a	(NW NSW)	Warning/departure	© MD
pacduck_20201209.m4a	(NW NSW)	Departure	© MD

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

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