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The blue-billed duck (Oxyura australis) is a small Australian stiff-tailed duck, with both the male and female growing to a length of 40 cm (16 in). [2] [3] The male has a slate-blue bill which changes to bright-blue during the breeding season, hence the duck's common name.
Female and immature hybrids typically lack the white bill base, except in those between lesser scaup and ring-necked duck, where the white extends to the eye region. But especially with juveniles, the bi-colored bill of hybrids is most diagnostic. Hybrid combinations that are known from the wild and resemble the lesser scaup are:
It has a white band and brown oval shaped patches at the base of the bill, which is a slightly duller shade of blue than the drake's. [17] Juvenile greater scaup look similar to adult females. The drake's eclipse plumage looks similar to its breeding plumage, except the pale parts of the plumage are a buffy grey.
Both sexes have a pale blue bill with a black tip, a white belly, and gray legs and feet. [10] The wing patch behind the speculum is gray. They can be distinguished from most ducks, apart from Eurasian wigeon, by shape. However, that species has a darker head and all-grey underwing.
The lake duck grows to 36–46 centimetres (14–18 in). Females weigh 510–700 grams (18–25 oz) and males 600–850 grams (21–30 oz). Males can be distinguished from Andean duck (Oxyura ferruginea), a similar species, by being smaller and having a flatter head. [2] Female ducks have an anti-corkscrew vagina made for difficult penetration.
Unusually for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies if the possibly conspecific duck Eaton's pintail is considered to be a separate species. This is a large duck, and the male's long central tail feathers give rise to the species' English and scientific names. Both sexes have blue-grey bills and grey legs and feet.
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The blue-billed teal, spotted teal or Hottentot teal (Spatula hottentota) is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula. It is migratory resident in eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria and south to South Africa and Namibia. [1] [2] In west Africa and Madagascar it is sedentary.