Jump to content

Hardhead

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hardhead
Female
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
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

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.

References

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