Australian Wood Ducks or Maned Ducks
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The Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) - also known as Maned Duck -
is a dabbling duck that is commonly seen throughout much of Australia.
It inhabits lightly wooded swamps and marshes.
Description:
The Maned Duck measures between 45 - 51 cm in length, including its tail. It somewhat resembles a small goose,
Both male and female have grey wings with black primaries (longest wing feathers) and a white speculum (= distinctive wing patches).
The male has a mostly grey plumage, except for the dark brown head and mottled breast.
The female looks similar, but can be identified by the white stripes above and below the eye and mottled underparts.
Breeding / Nesting:
The Maned Duck typically nests in tree cavities. The average clutch consists of 8 - 12 eggs.
Diet / Feeding
They mostly feed on plant matter attained by grazing. They rarely swim.
Diet / Feeding:
Ducks generally feed on larvae and pupae often found under rocks, as well as aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
Feeding Ducks ...
We all enjoy ducks and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around - and it works! Who doesn't like an easy meal!
However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird - so it's best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.
Please note that feeding ducks and geese makes them dependent on humans for food, which can result in starvation and possibly death when those feedings stop. If you decide to feed them, please limit the quantity to make sure that they maintain their natural ability to forage for food themselves - providing, of course, that natural food sources are available.
- Click here to find out which foods to feed them that will offer the nutrition they need to survive a cold winter and remain healthy
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