The Wood Ducks (Chenometta jubata) are mating.
Australian Wood ducks are dabblers, not divers - spending the day mostly pottering around and the nights feeding on crops and grasses. They're more than satisfied with a small water resource, like our little dam. While essentially herbivores, I have read they are good value as spider eaters.
Coupling is thought to be permanent and both male and female care for the ducklings.
Mr Duck is slightly larger (appearances otherwise are zoom or cropping artifact), with a handsome bronzy brown head and neck, a speckled breast and wonderful black stripes down a soft grey body.
Mrs Duck gives a more general speckled appearance with the head and neck the same soft grey as the main body, with just blushes of brown. Again, there are distinctive back stripes though the contrast is lessened by the slightly darker body.
The happy couple are never far apart.
(click to enlarge)
1 comment:
Love learning about your sort of wood duck.
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