White-eyed Duck
Aythya australis
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 5,462
- Most observed in
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The hardhead (Aythya australis), also known as the white-eyed duck, is the only true diving duck found in Australia. The common name "hardhead" has nothing to do with the density of the bird's skull, instead referring to the difficulty encountered by early taxidermists in processing the head. Hardheads are found in wetter, coastal regions of Australia, particularly in the south-east, but are known to disperse as far afield as New Guinea, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Hardhead”.