Hardhead

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 hardness of the bird's skull, instead referring to the difficulty encountered by early taxidermists in studying the head. Hardheads are found in wetter, coastal regions of Australia, particularly in the south-east, but are known to live as far as New Guinea, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.

Hardhead
Aythya australis female - Hurstville Golf Course.jpg
Female
Aythya australis male - Hurstville Golf Course.jpg
Male
Conservation status
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
Species:
A. australis
Binomial name
Aythya australis
(Eyton, 1838)
Subspecies
  • A. a. extima (Mayr, 1940) (disputed)
  • A. a. australis (Eyton, 1838)
Synonyms

Nyroca australis Eyton, 1838

Hardhead Media

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Aythya australis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.