Pink-eared Duck

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

A small, distinctive duck with bold zebra-like barring, a large square-ended spatulate bill, and a small pink spot behind the eye. Highly nomadic and specialized for filter-feeding.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

1. 01

   Bold black-and-white 'zebra' barring on flanks

   Coarse, vertical bars cover the sides of the body, creating a striking pattern highly visible from a distance.

2. 02

   Massive, spatulate grey bill

   Unmistakably large and wide-tipped bill, unique among Australian ducks. Flexible skin flaps at the corners are often visible at close range.

3. 03

   Large black 'bandit' mask on white face

   A dark patch runs from the bill, through the eye, and towards the nape, contrasting sharply with the white face and throat.

4. 04

   Tiny, bright pink 'ear' spot

   A very small but vivid pink patch located just behind the dark eye mask. Often difficult to see except at close range.