Australian Spotted Duck

Facts about Australian spotted Ducks. Australian spotted ducks movement from one place to another is very minimal. In most cases, they tend to move when there are floods and heavy rains. Mostly they move in large numbers and the Australian spotted Ducks are one of the rarer breed.

The Australian spotted Duck originally came from the United States developed by John C. Kriner and Stanley Mason of Pennsylvania. They used Australian wild ducks to crossbreed so that they could come up with a perfect breed.

Appearance of the Australian spotted Duck

The Australian spotted Duck typically weighs around 2 to 2.2 ounces (.9 to 1 kg). The Australian spotted Duck comes in three colors, bluehead, silverhead and greenhead. A mature Australian spotted Duck has a dark grey color on its throat, chest face and forehead. The crown, back of the neck and upper parts are brownish olive with white spots. The Australian spotted Ducks underside of their tails is normally white, whereas the lower flanks are black barred white. The bill is olive green and the base of the bill has an orange red part. The legs and feet are green to olive yellow. Both the female and males are similar though the female is duller.

When not domesticated, the Australian spotted Ducks like living in places with dense vegetation such as reeds, thick grasses and dense shrubs. They can also live in wet lands, fresh or salted water.

About Australian spotted Duck nests

In the wild the Australian spotted Duck breed makes their nests in the dense vegetation, loose branches or on the ground. The male Australian spotted Duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female Australian spotted Duck lays 5 to 8 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep them warm so that they can hatch into baby ducklings. The eggs will hatch on average within 26 to 28 days. Baby ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks. The nests are made of grasses and shrubs which are lined with soft grasses to protect their eggs. The nest can either be made flat or have a cup like shape. The Australian spotted Duck can make excellent mothers.

Features about Australian spotted Duck egg

An Australian spotted Duck egg has twice the nutritional value than a chicken egg and will stay fresh longer because of their thicker shell.
Australian spotted Duck eggs are richer with more Albumen "the white of an egg" making pastries and cakes richer and fluffier. An Australian spotted Duck Egg has more Omega 3 fatty acids than a chicken egg. Omega 3 is thought to improve skin health, memory and Brain health. Australian spotted Duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food and a Chicken egg is an acid food and leaves your body more acid. Australian spotted Duck eggs are high in Cholesterol. Australian spotted Duck eggs have 6 times the Vitamin D and 2 times the Vitamin A than a chicken egg. Australian spotted Duck eggs have 2 times the cholesterol than a chicken egg.

Scientific name for Australian spotted Duck "Anas Platyrhynchos" meaning - Wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended; widely distributed. From New Latin "anas" meaning (Duck) and the word Platyrhynchos comes from "platyrrhine", Ancient Greek meaning (broad snouted, flat-bridged nose).
Australian spotted Ducks are birds in the Class of "Aves". Australian spotted Duck and Ducks of all types are part of the bird family "Anatidae". Australian spotted Ducks are also called "waterfowls" they are generally found in places were there is water, such as ponds, rivers, streams, lakes and occasionally your back yard pool. The definition of Anatidaephobia is irrational fear that you are being watched by a duck.

The Australian spotted Duck eat seeds, insects, crustaceans and spiders. They have a habit of feeding early or late in the day while dipping their beaks in mud since mostly they feed from the ground. The Australian spotted Duck love swimming in shallow waters submerging their heads.

The Australian spotted ducklings mature rapidly and for the people keeping these birds for domestic use, you must keep them in a well protected place since they can fly out.

A male adult Australian spotted Duck is called a (drake) and a adult female Australian spotted Duck is called a (hen). A young Australian spotted baby is called a (duckling). A group of ducks is called a brace, raft, team, flock, or paddling. The male Australian spotted Ducks (drakes) are the brighter colored ducks while the female (hen) are usually a plain colored for hiding purposes to be camouflaged from their enemies when they are sitting in their nests.

Feature of the Australian spotted Ducks Bill

A "bill" is what is call a Australian spotted Ducks mouth. There are no teeth in the ducks bill, they have rows of thin bristles, which helps them to filter pieces of nutrition out of the water. Australian spotted Ducks swallow there food whole and it goes to an organ called a gizzard, were the food is first ground up and than moves on to the stomach. The different bill shapes and sizes for finding food, has over time mutated to fit each environment. The Australian spotted Ducks bill is flat and broad and has rows of fine incision along the outer edge called "lamellae". meaning a thin membrane, plate, scale or layer, as of cell wall or bone tissue. The larnellae helps the duck to clutch food for feeding.

Australian spotted Ducks are related to geese and swans and the duck is the smallest of these birds with shorter wings and neck and a stocky body. Australian spotted Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years, depending on the breed. Australian spotted Ducks are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

The Australian spotted Duck is a Precocial (meaning) Born or hatched with the eyes open, a covering of hair or down, capable of a high degree of independent activity from birth and able to leave the nest just a few hours after hatching.

Australian spotted Ducks Water-proof feathers

A special feature that the Australian spotted Duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the Australian spotted Duck dives underwater, its downy under-layer of feathers will stay totally 100% dry. There is a special gland called the "Preen Gland" also called Oil Gland or Uropygial, that produces oil that is near the Australian spotted Ducks tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the duck's feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Underneath the water-proof coat are downy soft fluffy feathers which keep the Australian spotted Ducks body warm. Ducks keep clean by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and put their beaks into their feathers by preening themselves.

Features about Australian spotted Ducks Feet

The Australian spotted Ducks feet have capillaries which help blood flow to their feet. The warm blood flow down the leg and creates a heat exchange system. When the blood flows down the leg, it meets the cold blood and is warmed up to keep the ducks feet warm. Australian spotted Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles. Australian spotted Ducks have webbed feet, that makes them act like paddles, designed for swimming. The Australian spotted Duck push their webbed paddle feet back in a kicking motion, this allows them to move swift through the water and when the feet come back, they will close for less water resistance. The Australian spotted Ducks paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a Australian spotted Duck waddle instead of walk.

Australian spotted Ducks see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Australian spotted Ducks fly will fly in a “V” shape to makes flying easier.
Australian spotted Ducks will lay more eggs, when there is more daylight, that's why farmers will keep the lights on in the ducks house for longer periods of time.