The plumed whistling duck, also called the grass whistling duck, is a whistling duck that breeds in Australia. It is a predominantly brown-coloured duck with a long neck and characteristic plumes arising from its flanks. The sexes are similar in appearance.
Region
Australia
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across northern and eastern Australia, favoring tropical and subtropical grassy wetlands, floodplains, and the margins of lagoons and billabongs. It readily uses farm dams, rice fields, and irrigated pastures, often roosting near shallow freshwater by day. The species prefers areas with abundant short grass for grazing and nearby open water for loafing and safety. It avoids deep, open water and dense reedbeds, instead selecting open grassy edges. Numbers and local presence can shift with rainfall and flooding.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Named for the elegant cream plumes that rise from its flanks, this whistling duck is famous for its clear, whistling calls in flight. It is largely a nocturnal or crepuscular grazer, often feeding in pastures and irrigated fields. Outside the breeding season it gathers in sizable, tight flocks at favored wetlands.
Temperament
social and gregarious
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats and audible whistling
Social Behavior
Forms tight flocks outside the breeding season, often resting together near water during the day. Pairs are typically monogamous and breed in the wet season, nesting on the ground in dense grass near water. Both parents share incubation and brood care. Flocks may number into the hundreds at favored sites.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Gives high, clear, whistling calls, especially on the wing. Contact calls are soft, piping notes used within flocks, while alarm notes are sharper and more insistent.
Plumage
Predominantly warm brown with a pinkish-cinnamon breast, finely barred black-and-white flanks, and long, cream plumes arising from the flanks. Upperparts are darker brown with paler edging, and underparts show neat barring toward the sides. The neck is long and slender, and the plumage is sleek with a softly scaled look on the back.
Diet
Primarily grazes on grasses and sedges, clipping tender shoots and seed heads. It also takes seeds from pasture grasses and crops such as rice, especially in irrigated areas. Aquatic plants are consumed opportunistically, and animal matter is minimal.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mostly in open pastures, floodplain grasslands, and the grassy margins of wetlands. It often ventures into agricultural fields at night, returning to waterbodies to loaf and preen during the day.
