Musk Duck

Biziura lobata(Shaw, 1796)

Also known asGidgy-gar-dupGidjigarrap

Least ConcernEndemic

Order: ANSERIFORMES
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Biziura

Conservation: Least Concern
Commonness: Endemic
Best seen: Year-round

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The musk duck is a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed duck native to southern Australia. It is the only living member of the genus Biziura. An extinct relative, the New Zealand musk duck or de Lautour's duck, once occurred on New Zealand, but is only known from prehistoric subfossil bones. It was about 8% longer than the living species, with a particularly large head.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

01
Large leathery lobe under bill (male)
A prominent, dark, pendulous flap of skin, swelling noticeably in breeding males.
02
Very low profile in water
Floats exceptionally deep with much of the back submerged, often showing only head and part of the back.
03
Stiff, fan-like tail
Tail of long, stiff feathers, often held flat on the water but can be cocked vertically.
04
Drab grey-brown plumage with fine barring
Overall dark, inconspicuous plumage, subtly marked with fine, pale grey or whitish barring.

Field specs

Length: 55–66 cm
Weight: 993–3120 g
Wingspan: 70 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

When diving, this species slips underwater head-first with remarkable agility, often leaving barely a ripple on the surface.

flight

Reluctant to take wing, they require a clumsy running take-off across the water but are swift airborne with rapid, shallow wing beats and a low-angled, abrupt landing.

plumage

While males are distinguished by a massive, pendulous leathery lobe beneath the bill, both sexes share an inconspicuous dark grey-brown plumage with faint, pale pin-striping.

size_and_shape

Look for a duck sitting extremely low in the water with a heavy, wedge-shaped head and a stiff tail that is often held vertically or fanned against the surface.

voice

Listen for the male's rhythmic breeding display, a repetitive sequence featuring a loud 'ker-plonk' foot-splash, a sharp whistle, and a deep grunt.

02 · Where

Where to find it

Breeding range: South-west Western Australia, and south-east Australia from the Eyre Peninsula (SA) through VIC, Murray-Darling Basin to south-east QLD, and Tasmania.
Non-breeding range: Disperses to large permanent inland waters and coastal estuaries/lagoons across southern Australia.

03 · When