Freckled Duck

Freckled Duck

Stictonetta naevosa

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Melbourne

In 3 days <5%

203 Verified sightings at Melbourne
11 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Freckled Duck

The freckled duck (Stictonetta naevosa) is a waterfowl species endemic to Australia. The freckled duck has also been referred to as the monkey duck or oatmeal duck. These birds are usually present in mainland Australia, but disperse to coastal and subcoastal wetlands in the dry period. During such times it is common for the freckled duck population to congregate in flocks in the same area, giving the impression that they are more common than they really are.

The freckled duck population is at risk of further reduction from habitat destruction, droughts and game hunting. Often habitat destruction and drought can lead to an increase in hunting, as the freckled duck is forced to disperse into more coastal ranges where they may not be recognised as being a protected species.

In the past few decades, several institutions have established breeding programs to aid in supplementation of the freckled duck population. Such establishments included, but are not restricted to the Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia, Slimbridge Wetlands, Melbourne Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Adelaide Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. The success of these institutes has been variable, with some failing to establish self-maintaining colonies. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:11

Australia · 2015

© Frank Lambert · XC407746 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:45

Australia · 2016

© Andrew Spencer · XC311772 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Recording0:47

Australia · 2017

© deborod · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
2 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
3 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Disney's Animal Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Busch Gardens Tampa 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 Tierpark Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
4 Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
6 San Diego Zoo Safari Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
7 Columbus Zoo and Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
8 Sedgwick County Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
9 Slimbridge Wetland Centre 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
10 Fort Worth Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
11 Taronga Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
12 Singapore Zoo 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
13 Cleland Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
14 Melbourne Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
15 ABQ BioPark Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
16 Perth Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
17 Bird Paradise 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
18 Rainforest Wild Asia 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
19 Tralaga Wildlife park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
20 Birdworld Kuranda 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
21 Kuranda Koala Gardens 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Freckled Duck in Melbourne?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Freckled Duck sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 203 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 151st most-seen of the 236 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Freckled Duck in Melbourne?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Freckled Duck in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Freckled Duck?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Freckled Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Melbourne the best place to see a Freckled Duck?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Freckled Duck sightings, Melbourne ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Freckled Duck live in Melbourne?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the Freckled Duck that you can see in Melbourne (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Pacific Black Duck (about 60%), Chestnut Teal (about 50%) and Australian Wood Duck (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Freckled Duck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Freckled Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Melbourne (203 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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