Hardhead Ducks (male and female)

Description:

It's taken me exactly 12 months, but this is my 300th spotting of PN, and what better way to mark the occasion than to post a spotting of ducks. Hardhead ducks to be exact. They're also known as White-eyed Ducks and are the only true diving duck found in Australia. It's a medium-sized duck which appears mainly chocolate brown when swimming, with a white undertail. In flight, the underwings are white, edged with brown. A white breast patch is obvious in flight and when standing in the shallows. The bill is pale blue on the tip. Males have a distinct white eye, while the eye is brown in females.

Habitat:

Hardheads are found in freshwater swamps and wetlands and occasionally in sheltered estuaries. They are rarely seen on land and tend to roost on low branches and stumps near the water. They prefer deep, fresh open water and densely vegetated wetlands for breeding. This pair was spotted on the pond at the Mt. Coot-tha Botanical Gardens in Brisbane.