Description: The male Blue-billed duck has a black head, dark brown body and a brown bill. During the mating season the male’s bill will turn a bright blue, giving the duck its name. The female’s body is a plain brown with a grey-brown bill.

Diet: Blue-billed Ducks are omnivores. They spend a lot of their time diving underwater for food, searching for insect larvae, seeds and leaves.

In the wild: When these ducks are disturbed, instead of flying away, they dive underwater. This is due to their compact body shape; their tail-ends are heavy and give a slow take-off. They are, however, excellent and speedy swimmers.

Threats: Destruction of habitat threatens the Blue-billed Duck, in particular land clearing, cropping, drainage and salinisation of water bodies and burning of riparian vegetation. The Blue-billed Duck is listed as vulnerable in New South Wales.