Blue-billed Duck

The Blue-billed Duck is a diving duck endemic to Australia, named for the male's vibrant, light blue bill during the breeding season. The male is distinguished by its glossy black head and neck, and rich chestnut-coloured body, while the female is a more subdued mottled brown.

Blue-billed Ducks are highly aquatic and prefer deep, permanent freshwater wetlands, lakes, and reservoirs with dense vegetation. They are exceptional divers, yet are clumsy on land, therefore rarely seen walking.

There is an estimated 10,000 individuals left in the wild and this species is threatened in Victoria. Around 1% of the population is known to inhabit Devilbend Reservoir at the heart of the Mornington Peninsula, which is recognised as a Key Biodiversity Area because of it. Blue-billed Duck can also be observed at Bittern Reservoir and occasionally at Coolart Wetlands.