Elizabeth duck

The Elizabeth is a breed of domestic duck, originating in Australia. They were developed as a small, fast growing meat breed in 1972 by Lance Ruting in Merrylands, New South Wales and named after his wife, Ann Elizabeth Ruting.[1] They are presently bred in Australia and New Zealand,[2] but are not widely available[3][4] and classified as endangered by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.[5]

They come in only one colour and they are described as short, with a broad chest and round breast, slightly short legs and round head. Males have a glossy green head which ends at a white ring. Chest feathers claret coloured feathers and bordered in cream, off-white underbelly, charcoal grey feathers on back also ringed with white, solid black rump and dull black-brown tail. Females are fawn coloured, with brown marks in the center of each feather on the majority of the body. Off-white primaries spotted with grey, and blue-green secondary flight feathers. Both sexes have grey bills, dark brown eyes and bronze legs.[1] Ducks of the breed are reported to be able to lay 100–150 eggs per year.[4]

According to The Backyard Duck Book, the pedigree and status of the breed are controversial, and animals of the breed are sometimes not allowed to be shown.[4]