Nomadic, Dispersive, Successful… Plumed Whistling-Ducks

By Em Allen on April 16, 2014 in Other

Plumed Whistling-Ducks were formally rare vagrants in the Sydney region, but they have been regularly seen in the Hawkesbury district since 1971, and they have successfully bred there. On February 20 this year, a small flock of 24 birds was reported at Picnic Point Reserve at The Entrance and on the same day there were 18 on Busby’s Pond in Centennial Park, which had first been seen there two days earlier. This is apparently the first time these magnificent birds have been recorded in the Eastern Suburbs.

They are usually seen in small groups near water, with short grass and herbage nearby, where they roost close together on open banks during the day. They are pale, medium-size goose-like ducks, largely brown, buff and cinnamon coloured, bigger than teal and about the same size as black ducks, with longer legs and neck than both of these; they stand upright, tall and slim. Their most obvious features are spectacular, elongated cream plumes on their flanks that project above the bodyline, and pink legs and bills. Sexes are similar, but males tend to have longer plumes. Frequently they whistle and twitter whether roosting or in flight, day or night. There are no seasonal plumage changes and immature birds look very similar to adults, but paler and duller.

Plumed Whistling-Ducks occur in flocks of thousands, mainly in north and east Australia, extending into southern NSW and northern Victoria. They occur casually far inland, in southwest Victoria, southeast NSW, and northeast and southeast SA. They are seasonally migratory or dispersive and vagrants have been seen in PNG and New Zealand. Margins of waterholes, farm dams, well-vegetated wetlands, flood plains, mangrove creeks, estuarine pools, sewage farms, grasslands, grain stubbles, pastures, irrigated lands and rice country are all suitable habitats.

Plumed Whistling-Ducks are almost entirely vegetarian. They normally feed at night on leaves and seeds of short grasses, legumes, herbs, sedges and spike-rushes. Usually they graze like geese, but they also take food in water by dabbling from the surface. On land they feed in compact, constantly moving groups, but in water they disperse more.

From the 1950s breeding range expanded into agricultural and pastoral regions in southeast Australia, which provided new feeding grounds in pasture, irrigation areas, grain crops, and stubble; furthermore, grazing livestock and mowing maintain the short grass cover preferred by Plumed Whistling-Ducks. Construction of farm dams, sewage ponds and reservoirs provides breeding habitat and roosting sites, consolidating the extension of range.

Plumed Whistling-Ducks seem to be under no threat, and their conservation presents no immediate concerns. They are still very numerous, especially in Queensland where they do not suffer much from shooting or other interference. There has been no significant difference in the last 30 yeas or so in reporting rates for Plumed Whistling-Ducks despite significant regional variations, which probably relate to rainfall and subsequent responses to drought and flooding.