Blue-billed Duck

Oxyura australis Gould, 1837

798 gWeight

The blue-billed duck (Oxyura australis) is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 cm (16 in).

Busiest months: January · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January · Most records: Australia

Blue-billed Duck has been recorded at 77 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Western Treatment PlantAustralia4,869 records
Jawbone Flora and Fauna ReserveAustralia1,620 records
Herdsman LakeAustralia1,250 records

More places

Braeside ParkAustralia1,106 records
Lake GalletlyAustralia980 records
Lake Monger ReserveAustralia891 records
Lake LorneAustralia784 records
Karkarook ParkAustralia723 records
Braeside Park WetlandsAustralia672 records
Laratinga WetlandsAustralia596 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The blue-billed duck (Oxyura australis) is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 cm (16 in). The male has a slate-blue bill which changes to bright-blue during the breeding season, hence the duck's common name. The male has deep chestnut plumage during breeding season, reverting to a dark grey.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Blue-billed Duck?

The Blue-billed Duck weighs around 798 g.

Where does the Blue-billed Duck live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: southwestern Western Australia, southwestern Queensland to southern Victoria and southeastern South Australia and Tasmania (southwestern, southeastern Australia). It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Blue-billed Duck?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Blue-billed Duck endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Blue-billed Duck as Least Concern.

What does the Blue-billed Duck eat?

Main food: Aquatic plants.

What family is the Blue-billed Duck in?

It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.

At a glance

Weight: 798 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Aquatic plants
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 154 mm
Tail: 62 mm
Bill: 44 mm
Tarsus: 33 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: southwestern Western Australia, southwestern Queensland to southern Victoria and southeastern South Australia and Tasmania (southwestern, southeastern Australia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2