Musk Duck (Érismature à barbillons)

     There are countless reasons to visit Australia, but for a committed naturalist none is more appealing than the diverse and varied wildlife, often unlike anywhere else on earth.
     The bizarre Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) certainly falls into this category.

     This is surely one of the oddest of all waterfowl, with the males having a large, fleshy appendage under the base of the bill. The name Musk Duck is derived from a strong smelling odour produced by the preen gland in males, particularly evident in the breeding season. Presumably then, there is an olfactory component to courtship and sexual attraction.

     The male is considerably larger than the female, sometimes approaching double the size, so while there is extreme sexual size dimorphism there is no sexual dimorphism in colour. 
     Males are aggressive and appear to be ill-tempered often initiating fights with congeners and other species. There is much in the literature about courtship displays but copulation has been seldom observed, and is believed to often occur at night.
     Females lack the lobe under the bill.

     The stiff tail confers a superficial resemblance to true stifftails, but all other characters indicate that Musk Duck merits its own genus.
     We were fortunate to observe this species in two different locations and were thrilled to have the opportunity to take pictures.
     Stay tuned for more on the unique avifauna of Australia.