Freckled Duck –
is a medium-sized, beautifully speckled Duck, only found in Australia. More closely related to swans and geese than ducks, the freckled duck is the sole member of its genus, Stictonetta, and Australia’s rarest waterfowl. A boom-and-bust population, the last official count in 2016 estimated between 7,300 – 17,000 mature individuals. They mostly live in inland regions of Victoria and NSW. Preferring freshwater swamps shrouded with bullrushes and lignums. During prolonged dry conditions, they are forced out to other regions in search of more permanent water bodies, lakes, dams and ponds, where they often gather in large numbers, sometimes into the hundreds.
The male and female appear very similar, although the male is on average slightly larger, has darker feathers and during breeding season, the upper parts of the male’s bill turn a crimson red. They are polyamorous, meaning they don’t have a fixed partner, but undertake short-term seasonal pairing (monogamy) during breeding season, usually September to December or when conditions are favourable. The female will lay about 7 eggs, in a nest of woven twigs with a layer of soft downy feathers in reedbeds and small bushes close to the water. The male soon departs, and the female incubates the eggs and takes care of the chicks. The ducklings fledge at 9 weeks and both male and female are sexually mature at 12 months.
Preferring to feed late at night and early dawn, Freckled Ducks are specialized filter feeders, meaning they have a sieve-like organ in their bill that when water passes through it traps microorganisms, organic matter, insects, larvae and other small organisms. A bit like how a Blue Whale feeds on Krill.
Some good places to see them are Lake Purrumbete Caravan Park and just recently there have been sightings of around 20 of them at the Barongarook Creek mouth at Lake Colac.
Published: 12/03/2025
Colac Birder 