Blue-billed Duck

Oxyura australis

Braeside Park, Melbourne, S Vic IMG_9957 20211205 - male. CLICK for a female there.

Notes: Compact diving duck. Concave bill profile, stiff spiky tail raised when alarmed, display.
Swims low on water. Male breeding: blue bill, rounded black head. Female dark grey bill; cf
female Musk Duck but is ~2/3 the size & bill has a concave ridge. Non-breeding male is similar
appearance to female but has dark green tinge to bill. Inhabits deep freshwater wetlands. Rarely
seen ashore. Feeds mostly by diving for invertebrates. Flies low over water — noisy wing beats.

Range from The Atlas of Living Australia©