Wood Duck

Common Name: Australian Wood Duck, the Maned Duck or Maned Goose

Scientific Name: Chenonetta jubata

Native to: Australia

What does it look like: The Australian Wood Duck is a medium-sized duck resembling a small goose. Wood Ducks have a dark brown head, a speckled breast, and a light grey body with two black stripes on their back. Female Wood Ducks have paler brown heads than males and white stripes above and below their eyes. Both male and female wood ducks have grey wings with black primary feathers and a white bar on their secondary feathers. Primary and secondary feathers make up the trailing edge of the wing. The primary feathers are the most giant feathers on the wing and are closest to the end of the wing (you can think of it as the ‘hand’). The Secondary feathers are the flight feathers of the inner wing (you can think of this as the ‘arm’). Usually, these feathers pile up on one another when the wing is folded. The Australian Wood Duck can fly swiftly and easily. 

Habitat and Diet: The Wood duck is one of Australia’s most common duck species and lives throughout most of Australia, except for particularly dry areas. Wood ducks eat grasses, grains, herbs, and clover, and get some extra nutrients from the occasional worm or insect. Since their favourite food is grass, Wood Ducks prefer to forage on land. Wood Ducks even have a shorter bill than other duck species, which helps them to pull and chew grass. However, like all ducks, Australian Wood Ducks still enjoy the water and can be found in places where water is nearby, such as grasslands, woodlands, coastal wetlands, farms with dams, and our own Hobart Rivulet! 

STEM Fun Fact: Wood Ducks are named due to where they like to spend their time. They are very unique because they like to build their nests in tree hollows. Woods Ducks have longer legs than other duck species and also have small claws on their feet which help them to grip onto tree branches. Since the Australian Wood Ducks love to make their nest and lay eggs in the hollow of trees, once their ducklings are ready to leave the nest, the mother will fly to the ground and the ducklings must take a large leap to the ground to follow their parents.