FRECKLED DUCK

(Stictonetta naevosa), rare Australian waterfowl, characterized by dark dots scattered over its metallic-gray plumage; in breeding season the drake's bill turns red. The freckled duck is a surface feeder. It lacks alarm calls, courtship display, and demonstrative pair bonds. It may constitute a separate tribe, Stictonettini, family Anatidae (q.v.; order Anseriformes). The duck has been classified as endangered by the Australian government, which has taken measures to protect it.