# 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.

- **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.

## About

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 .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/305a2bd8-58df-47cd-8876-b5d918ac5133
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/6987
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anas superciliosa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/84477371/medium.jpeg (Tim, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.