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Pink-eared Duck

(Malacorhynchus membranaceus)
: "Zebra Duck", "Pink-eyed Duck", "Widgeon", "Whistling Teal"

Aboriginal name(s): "wilidhubaay" [yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay]; "wimbin" (WA)
Size: 38-45 cm; wing span 58-72 cm
Weight: 275-480 g

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

Pink-eared Ducks are small, squat-looking ducks with a bold brown and brownish-grey stripe pattern on neck, breast and belly. The head is grey, with a brown eye patch and a darker grey crown. Behind the eye they have their name-giving pink spot. Their uniquely shaped, massive bill is grey, as are feet and legs. The wings and tail are brown, the vent is buff-coloured.

Taxonomy, classification

See Pink-eared 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 Pink-eared Duck is available HERE .

Pink-eared Ducks are endemic to Australia. Given the right conditions, i.e. the availability of surface water, Pink-eared Ducks can be found over large parts of the Australian continent. The major exception is the most arid part, i.e. the sandy deserts in the eastern half of WA from roughly the Nullarbor via the Pilbara region in WA to the Kimberley. There are no Pink-eared Ducks in the central parts and the northern tip of Cape York peninsula either and they only occasionally turn up in Tasmania.

Especially during the breeding season Pink-eared Ducks are often found in inland ephemeral wetland, such as floodwaters or ephemeral lakes.

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

We first spotted a pair of Pink-eared Ducks on a farm dam 20 km West of Barraba, NSW, in August 2008.

Since then, Pink-eared Ducks are found by us semi-regularly in inland NSW, e.g. at Macquarie Marshes NR in April 2011.

Subsequently, a small family was spotted by us at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in April 2011. About 10 birds were seen at the same location in October 2011. In December 2011, after more substantial rainfall in the catchment, their numbers had risen to about 250.

C. Hayne reports that Pink-eared Ducks are common in wetlands and farm irrigation dams in and around Moree, NSW, including e.g. Whittaker's Lagoon. Being one of the most common ducks, they are often found in flocks of hundreds, and commonly found in flocks of about 50 birds.

About 200 Pink-eared Ducks were found by us at the Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, in November 2013.

A. Christopher reports spotting a pair of Pink-eared Ducks nesting on a big fencepost in a dam at Mooroopna, near Shepparton, VIC, about 100 km North of Melbourne, VIC, in October/November 2013.

R. Plumtree reports spotting Pink-eared Ducks at Hollands Landing, Lake Victoria, East Gippsland, VIC, in October 2014.

J. Greaves reports finding Pink-eared Ducks breeding at Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, in January 2015, and Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, Perth, WA, in November 2015.

J. Greaves reports spotting Pink-eared Ducks at the Granites Gold Mine, inland NT, in June 2015.

M. Eaton reports finding Pink-eared Ducks at Gratton, QLD, in August 2017.

R. Plumtree found Pink-eared Ducks at Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, in January 2020.

C. Pears spotted Pink-eared Ducks at Lake Monger, Perth, WA, in April 2021.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal and near-frontal view of a pair of Pink-eared Ducks
[Warialda, NSW, April 2017]

Near-frontal and near-lateral view of a pair of Pink-eared Ducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gratton, QLD, August 2017]

Near-frontal and lateral view of a pair of Pink-eared Ducks
[Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, June 2012]

Close-up lateral view of a Pink-eared Duck; note the characteristic pink spot behind the eye (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gratton, QLD, August 2017]

Lateral view of a Pink-eared Duck
[Tiger Bay Wetlands, Warren, NSW, December 2016]

Lateral and dorsal view of two Pink-eared Ducks
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2016]

The high-resolution version of this near-dorsal view of a Pink-eared Duck clearly shows the sieve on the side of its bill that enables the typical filter-feeding (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, Bayswater, Perth, WA, November 2015]

Near-dorsal view of a preening Pink-eared Duck (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, Bayswater, Perth, WA, November 2015]

Dorsal view of a Pink-eared Duck, with the characteristic pink spot clearly visible
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2016]

Dorsal view of a pair of Pink-eared Ducks (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, June 2012]

Four Pink-eared Ducks having a snooze together with three Grey Teals; note that no pink dots are visible - we do not know whether this is to be expected; the photo was taken at the end of the breeding season
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2011]

Pink-eared Ducks resting on a partially submerged tree on the edge of a water storage dam
[Old Quipolly Dam, Quirindi, NSW, December 2013]

Pink-eared Ducks resting in close proximity to several other species of aquatic birds; they formed part of a flock of about 250 birds in total
[Goran Lake, NSW, December 2011]

Size comparison of a Pink-eared Duck with an Australasian Shoveler (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]

Pair of Pink-eared Ducks taking off from a semi-permanent waterhole (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, June 2012]

Pair of Pink-eared Ducks low in flight (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, June 2012]

Pink-eared Ducks in flight, together with Grey Teals
[Goran Lake, NSW, October 2011]

Frontal view of a flock of Pink-eared Ducks in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, December 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up lateral view of a Pink-eared duckling
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2016]

Pink-eared Duck with six ducklings
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2016]

Pink-eared Duck with four ducklings (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, January 2015]

Family of Pink-eared Ducks in wetlands near Moree, NSW (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Pink-eared Duck duckling with its "mate", an equally young Australian Wood Duck duckling (photo courtesy of C. Hayne); click on photo to see who is swimming ahead of them...

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Nov Eggs: 6 - 8 Incubation period: 26 days Fledging age: N/A

Pink-eared Ducks breed mostly in the south-eastern quarter (inland, west of the Great Dividing Range, mostly to the East of the NSW/SA border) and in the south-western corner of the Australian continent. Although Pink-eared Ducks preferably breed in the southern spring, they can in principle breed any time of the year, usually after a big rain event (usually after floods, when the water starts receding).

Like other ducklings, young Pink-eared Ducks are precocial, leaving their nest at a young age, to be led by their mother until they can fly.

Nest building: ? Incubation: Female Dependent care: Female

Nest
"bungobittah", "malunna" = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Downy feathers Height above ground: 0.5 - ? m

Usually the nest will be in an open hollow, usually in the trunk of an old, dead tree, less exposed than the nest shown here. The only material used is an abundance of feathers that can totally cover the eggs.

Female Pink-eared Duck on its nest, while the male is staying nearby (photo courtesy of A. Christopher)
[Mooroopna, near Shepparton, VIC, November 2013]

Pink-eared Ducks re-using a White-necked Heron nest; because of the downy feathers the eggs inside are invisible (photo courtesy of D. Johnston)
[Near Baradine, NSW, 1980ies]

Eggs
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 50 x 36 mm Colour: Creamy Shape: Tapered oval

One needs to lift the "lid" of this Pink-eared Duck nest to see at least 6 eggs inside (photo courtesy of D. Johnston)
[Near Baradine, NSW, 1980ies]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Large flock

Pink-eared Ducks are often found in flocks, with up to hundreds of birds resting or flying together. They often roost together with other ducks or waders or other species of aquatic birds.

Pink-eared Ducks can often be seen going around each other in circles, presumably to create a vortex to trap prey
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, April 2021]

Flock of Pink-eared Ducks on the edge of an irrigation farm dam (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Frontal view of a flock of Pink-eared Ducks in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, December 2011]

Ventral view of Pink-eared Ducks in in a mixed flock with Grey Teals
[Burren Junction, NSW, January 2016]

Many, mostly land-based, bird species have a staggered moult of their wing feathers, thus ensuring that at any one point in time only a few feathers are missing, which enables them to continue flying throughout a moult.

Other, mostly aquatic, bird species that live in habitats in which they are safe from predators, allow themselves the luxury of a quicker, more radical moult, in which basically all flight feathers are replaced at once. Such a full wing moult will render birds flightless for a number of weeks.

Pink-eared Duck in full wing moult, rendering the bird flightless for a while - here one can see the gap left by the missing flight feathers (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, October 2017]

Pink-eared Duck in full wing moult stretching its wings, thereby exposing the quills of the new feathers (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, October 2017]

We have seen Pink-eared Ducks associating with Grey Teals on several occasions (see e.g. above the photos of flocks in flight).

Occasionally, we have observed Pink-eared Duck swimming in two parallel lines in opposite directions, then often paddling in circles around one another in pairs. This may have been a way to create waves or eddies while filter-feeding.

Pink-eared Ducks first swimming in parallel lines in opposite directions, then circling around each other in pairs while filter-feeding
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2016]

Even birds usually living in flocks, such as Pink-eared Ducks, sometimes need to settle disputes; here two are displaying a threatening posture before a fight broke out
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, October 2016]

Food, Diet

Pink-eared Ducks are specialists in collective filter-feeding; by swimming in circles they create eddies in which material is trapped that they then take in (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gratton, QLD, August 2017]

Pink-eared Ducks seen filter-feeding
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2016]

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.

pnkduck_20140728_4.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
pnkduck_20140424.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
pnkduck_20151222.m4a	(NW NSW)	Arrival & contact calls (Q&A) + Red-necked Avocet	© MD
pnkduck_20140711.mp3	(NW NSW)	Warning call (human) & reply	© MD
pnkduck_20140728_3.mp3	(NW NSW)	Arrival	© MD
pnkduck_20141206.mp3	(NW NSW)	Various	© MD
pnkduck_20170508.mp3	(NW NSW)	?	© MD
pnkduck_20140728_2.mp3	(NW NSW)	?	© MD
pnkduck_20141206_2.mp3	(NW NSW)	Mixed flock (with Red-necked Avocet)	© MD

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

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