Australian musk ducks are endemic to deep-water wetlands, river systems, and coastal waters of temperate Australia. In the spring they move to locations where permanent water exists that has substantial cover vegetation, such as rushes and cattails. Australian
Australian musk ducks are endemic to deep-water wetlands, river systems, and coastal waters of temperate Australia. In the spring they move to locations where permanent water exists that has substantial cover vegetation, such as rushes and cattails. Australian musk ducks have been observed on ephemeral wetlands on the Nullarbor plain after major flooding and occasionally forage in marine habitats. (Johnsgard, 1965; McCracken, et al., 2002)
Australian musk ducks are large, strongly sexually dimorphic, stiff-tailed ducks with elongated tail feathers well adapted for diving and maneuvering in water. The legs are positioned far back on the body, making it difficult for maneuvering on land. Males are almost entirely blackish-brown with finer pale barring and speckling. The head is nearly black on the crown and nape and visibly more freckled buff on the cheeks and neck. The breast is a whitish-buff barred and freckled blackish-brown. The tail and wings are completely black while the feet are a blac