Marbled Duck

About

A pale sandy-buff duck with distinctive marbled dark and light brown spotting on body and wings, a dark eyepatch, and pale bill. Found in Mediterranean scrub-wetlands and Middle Eastern marshes. Migratory; breeds in southern Europe and central Asia, winters in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	40.1 cm	15.8 in
Weight	422.5 g	14.90 oz

Identification

Plumage

Pale sandy-buff plumage with bold white spots throughout; distinctive marbled pattern. Dark eye patch forming mask. Pale face and throat. No iridescent speculum. Gray bill; gray legs. Sexes similar. Mediterranean and Middle East.

Habitat & Range

Shallow densely vegetated freshwater and brackish marshes, rice paddies, and lagoons in the Mediterranean basin, Middle East, and Central Asia. Winters in Africa and South Asia. Dependent on emergent wetland vegetation.

🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds in the high Arctic; winters on the open Atlantic Ocean and along coastlines from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico.

Diet & Feeding

Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic invertebrates in coastal habitats.

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 25-27 days. Fledging: 50-54 days.

Clutch Size

5-20

Sound

Song

Male gives a low, guttural chuckling; female produces a nasal, rattling quack. Calls are relatively quiet for a duck; the chuckling male call is unusual among Eurasian and North African wildfowl.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Marmaronetta
Species	Marmaronetta angustirostris

Distribution

Marbled Duck has been recorded in 7 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Marbled Duck eat?

Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic invertebrates in coastal habitats.

Where does the Marbled Duck live?

Shallow densely vegetated freshwater and brackish marshes, rice paddies, and lagoons in the Mediterranean basin, Middle East, and Central Asia. Winters in Africa and South Asia. Dependent on emergent wetland vegetation.

Is the Marbled Duck endangered?

The Marbled Duck has a conservation status of Near Threatened.

How does the Marbled Duck nest?

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 25-27 days. Fledging: 50-54 days.

What does the Marbled Duck sound like?

Male gives a low, guttural chuckling; female produces a nasal, rattling quack. Calls are relatively quiet for a duck; the chuckling male call is unusual among Eurasian and North African wildfowl.

How big is the Marbled Duck?

The Marbled Duck has a wingspan of 40.1 cm, weight of 422.5 g.

What order and family does the Marbled Duck belong to?

The Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.