Pacific Black Duck

Anas superciliosa

Despite their name, these ducks are mostly brown; the 'black' refers to the bold, dark stripes on their face which help break up their silhouette in the reeds.

Scientific name

Anas superciliosa

Taxonomy

Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Anas

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Population trend

decreasing

Biome

wetland

Habitat

Freshwater wetlands, lagoons, swamps, and flooded grasslands; occasionally found in sheltered coastal waters.

Diet

Omnivorous, consuming seeds of aquatic plants, small crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic insects.

Range

Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Islands

Size

47-60 cm in length, weighing 800-1100 grams

Lifespan

2-5 years in the wild

Active

diurnal

Threats

Habitat loss, competition and hybridization with the introduced Mallard, and historic lead poisoning from shot.

Safe to approach?

Harmless and shy. Maintain a respectful distance of 5-10 meters. Do not feed them bread, as it lacks nutrition and causes wing deformities; if you must feed, use specialized duck pellets or peas.

The Pacific black duck ( Anas superciliosa ) is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east. It is usually called the grey duck in New Zealand, where it is also known by its Maori name, pārera .

Photo: Tim, CC-BY, via iNaturalist

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