Bird
Australian Wood Duck
Chenonetta jubataAlso known as Maned Duck, Maned Goose
Australian wood ducks spend far more time grazing on open grassy pastures and park lawns than paddling on water. They form monogamous pairs that often mate for life, nesting in hollow branches or trunks of mature eucalyptus trees close to freshwater ponds. Newly hatched ducklings leap from hollows up to several meters above the ground, tumbling safely to the forest floor to follow both parents immediately to feeding grounds.
GrazingTree-NestingUrban Wildlife
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyClover, Native grasses, Small terrestrial insects
Predators
- Red Fox
- Feral Cat
- Whistling Kite
ThreatsLoss of mature hollow-bearing trees, feral predators, and prolonged droughts
HabitatsOpen woodlands, pastures, farm dams, wetlands, and urban parks
Life span8–12 years in the wild
Classification
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae
- GenusChenonetta
- SpeciesChenonetta jubata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Keep Distance: Watch grazing pairs quietly from a few paces without cutting off their path to water.
- Avoid Bread: Refrain from feeding bread or processed foods, which cause severe nutritional disorders.
- Watch the Trees: Scan overhead hollows near water during spring to spot brooding pairs and fledglings.
Frequent Companion (c) Tim, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim · cc-by
Predator "Red Fox" by Mike's Birds is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Host Plant (c) MargaretRDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Same Family (c) Rolf Lawrenz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rolf Lawrenz · cc-by
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