Pacific black duck fact sheet – yurangai | Field of Mars EEC

What is a pacific black duck?

Pacific black ducks are common waterbirds in Sydney and across much of Australia. Their scientific name is Anas superciliosa. They are dabbling ducks, which means they feed by tipping forward in shallow water to reach plants and small animals.

Local Aboriginal Peoples may have referred to pacific black ducks as yurangai, the Darug name for duck.

Illustration of a Pacific black duck standing side-on. A pacific black duck

Fast facts – Pacific black duck

Scientific name – Anas superciliosa

Appearance – A medium-sized duck with mottled brown feathers. The head has a cream stripe above and below the eye, with a darker stripe through the eye. In flight you may notice an iridescent green patch on the wing called a speculum.

Where they live – Very adaptable and found in many wet places, including ponds, lakes, rivers, dams, wetlands and sheltered coastal areas, as well as urban parks in Sydney.

Food – Mostly plant material, especially seeds of aquatic and waterside plants. They also eat aquatic insects, snails and other small water animals.

Life cycle – In Sydney, breeding can begin in winter and continue into summer, often June to January. Nests are built in tree hollows or well-hidden sites in long grass or reeds. Females usually lay 7–12 eggs and incubate them for about 30 days. Ducklings can walk and swim soon after hatching.

What do pacific black ducks look like?

Pacific black ducks are often called black ducks, but they are mostly brown. Their feathers are mottled and help them blend into reeds, mud and grassy edges of wetlands and creeks. The dark stripes across the face and the shiny green wing patch are useful features for identification.

Pacific black duck swimming, showing the dark eye stripe and pale face stripes. A pacific black duck with its distinctive dark stripe over its eye.

What do pacific black ducks sound like?

Female pacific black ducks can make loud, repeated quacks. Museums Victoria describes the female call as a rapid, raucous quacking that starts loud and then fades.

Where do pacific black ducks live?

Pacific black ducks are widespread and can live almost anywhere there is water, from natural wetlands to ponds in city parks. In Sydney, they are commonly seen on lagoons, creeks and rivers, including places like the Lane Cove River and in Field of Mars Reserve.

Buffalo Creek in Field of Mars Reserve, a shaded freshwater creek with bushland along the banks. Pacific black ducks are commonly found in creeks like Buffalo Creek in Field of Mars Reserve.

What do pacific black ducks eat?

Pacific black ducks feed by dabbling at the surface or by tipping forward with their tails up to reach food below. Their bills have comb-like edges that help strain food from water. They also graze on grass in wet areas, especially after rain.

Two Pacific black ducks swimming beside reeds in a calm creek. Pacific black ducks feed on aquatic plants in creeks and wetlands.

How are pacific black ducks adapted to their environment?

Pacific black ducks have several features that help them survive around water. They have webbed feet that work like paddles for swimming. They have waterproof feathers that help keep their bodies dry and warm. Their dabbling feeding style and comb-like bill edges help them collect and strain seeds and small water animals from shallow water.

“Pacific black duck close-up from the side, showing the green wing patch (speculum). Pacific black ducks have waterproof, mottled feathers that also provide camouflage.

How do pacific black ducks reproduce and what is their life-cycle?

Pacific black ducks often form monogamous pairs. This means they stay with the same partner for life. They may nest in a tree hollow, or in trampled grass or reeds near water lined with soft down feathers. Females commonly lay 7–12 eggs and incubate them for about 30 days.

Ducklings can swim soon after hatching, but many do not survive because they are taken by predators such as foxes, cats and large water predators. Some pairs raise more than one brood in a season.

Adult Pacific black duck with several ducklings swimming in a line. Ducklings can swim soon after hatching.

What is the role of pacific black ducks in the environment?

By feeding on aquatic plants and small water animals, pacific black ducks are part of wetland food webs. Their foraging can help move seeds around wetlands, and they also provide food for predators that hunt in and around waterways.

What threats do pacific black ducks face and how can we help them?

Wetland loss and pollution reduce safe places for ducks to feed and breed. In urban areas, feeding ducks, especially bread can cause problems because ducks can usually find natural food in healthy ponds and wetlands. Pacific black ducks can also hybridise with introduced mallards, which can change the appearance of local ducks over time.

You can help by protecting and restoring wetlands, keeping waterways clean, keeping dogs on-lead near waterbird habitat, and watching ducks without feeding them.

Close-up of a Pacific black duck’s face looking toward the camera. A close-up of a Pacific black duck’s face showing the pale stripes and dark eye-line.

More bird fact sheets

Bird fact sheets – overview
Wood duck fact sheet - another common duck in Field of Mars Reserve.
Dusky moorhen - an aquatic water bird sharing the same habitat

Habitats and nesting sites

Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet
Water habitats fact sheet

Food sources and food webs

Ground cover habitats - feeding on seeds
Red fox - an introduced predator

Attributions

References

Atlas of Living Australia. n.d. Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa). [online] Atlas of Living Australia. Available at: https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Pacific%2BBlack%2BDuck

Centennial Parklands. n.d. Pacific Black Duck. [online] Centennial Parklands. Available at: https://www.centennialparklands.com.au/visit/environment/birds/pacific-black-duck

Museums Victoria. n.d. Anas superciliosa (Pacific Black Duck). [online] Museums Victoria Collections. Available at: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8243

Grasslands (Victorian Department of Education). n.d. Pacific Black Duck field guide. [online] Available at: https://grasslands.ecolinc.vic.edu.au/fieldguide/fauna/pacific-black-duck

Image attributions

A pacific black duck - Field of Mars EEC (original illustration)

A pacific black duck with its distinctive dark stripe over its eye. - Field of Mars EEC (original image)

Pacific black ducks are commonly found in creeks like Buffalo Creek in Field of Mars Reserve. - Field of Mars EEC (original image)

Pacific black ducks feed on aquatic plants in creeks and wetlands. Two Pacific black ducks swimming beside reeds in a creek. – “1 Pacific black ducks Lane Cove River 205” by Sardaka on Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. (cropped). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_Pacific_black_ducks_Lane_Cove_River_205.jpg

Pacific black ducks have water proof mottled feathers that also provides camouflage. Pacific black duck close-up showing the green wing patch (speculum). – “Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) (30539545234)” by Dominic Sherony on Wikimedia Commons (from Flickr). CC BY-SA 2.0. (cropped). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Black_Duck_(Anas_superciliosa)_(30539545234).jpg

Ducklings can swim soon after hatching. Pacific black duck with ducklings swimming. – “Pacific Black Duck Ducklings” by Helenabella on Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0. (cropped). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Black_Duck_Ducklings.jpg

A close-up of a Pacific black duck’s face showing the pale stripes and dark eye-line. Close-up of a Pacific black duck’s face showing the pale stripes and dark eye-line. – “Pacific Black Duck Face” by Helenabella on Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0. (cropped). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pacific_Black_Duck_Face.jpg

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