Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura australis), male
Blue-billed Duck, Male

Blue-billed Duck

Oxyura australis

The Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura australis) is a diminutive stiff-tailed duck endemic to Australia. Both sexes reach approximately 40 cm in length. The male is notable for its slate-blue bill, which intensifies to a vivid blue during the breeding season, and its deep chestnut plumage that transitions to dark grey outside of this period. The female maintains a consistent black plumage with brown-tipped feathers throughout the year. This species is distinguished by its low profile on the water and its powerful feet, which are well-adapted for swimming and diving.

Identification Tips

Males in breeding plumage exhibit a bright-blue bill, glossy black head and neck, and rich chestnut back and wings. In contrast, non-breeding males and females have a more subdued appearance, with the males sporting grey-speckled black heads and dark grey bodies, and the females displaying dark brown heads with mottled black and light-brown tipped feathers. Juveniles resemble adult females but are paler with a grey-green bill.

Habitat

The Blue-billed Duck favors deep, freshwater swamps with dense vegetation, such as cumbungi reeds, but can also be found in lignum swamps and occasionally large rivers and saline water bodies. They are almost entirely aquatic and exhibit a penguin-like gait on land.

Distribution

This species is widespread across Australia's temperate regions, from southern Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania, and in the south-west of Western Australia. They are most abundant in the Murray-Darling basin.

Behaviour

Outside of the breeding season, Blue-billed Ducks may form large flocks on open lakes or dams. During breeding, they become secretive and wary, diving underwater to escape threats. The male's courtship display is elaborate, involving a series of movements such as rolling, dab-preening, and sousing. Post-mating, males often desert the females who then build nests and incubate the eggs.

Song & Calls

The Blue-billed Duck's vocalizations are infrequent, but when heard, they produce a low quack.

Breeding

Breeding may occur throughout the year, with clutch sizes ranging from 3 to 12 eggs. The female may lay eggs in the nests of other waterbirds, a behavior known as "facultative parasitism." Incubation lasts 26 to 28 days, and the ducklings are relatively independent upon hatching.

Similar Species

The Blue-billed Duck can be confused with other stiff-tailed ducks, but its unique bill coloration during breeding season and its habitat preferences help distinguish it.

Diet and Feeding

An omnivorous species, the Blue-billed Duck sifts mud underwater for small invertebrates, seeds, buds, and fruits of aquatic plants. It has a particular fondness for chironomid larvae and other aquatic insects.

Conservation status

Classified as Least Concern by BirdLife International, the Blue-billed Duck faces threats from habitat degradation due to introduced fish, cattle grazing, salinization, and groundwater changes. Conservation efforts focus on maintaining sustainable water flows and managing salinity. The species is listed as vulnerable in New South Wales and threatened in Victoria.

Relationship with humans

The Blue-billed Duck serves as an indicator species for wetland health. A decline in their numbers can signal ecological issues within freshwater systems, such as salinity and overgrazing impacts.

Other comments

Further research is needed to determine the average lifespan of the Blue-billed Duck in the wild and to validate its effectiveness as an indicator of habitat health.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Blue-billed Ducks on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Ducks, Geese, Swans

A photo of a Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) , male

Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulata
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.