Often habitat destruction and drought can lead to an increase in hunting, as the freckled duck is forced to disperse into more coastal ranges where they may not be recognised as a protected species.

[4] In the past few decades, several institutions have established breeding programs to aid in supplementation of the freckled duck population.

It is characterised, in adults, by dark grey to black plumage covered with small white flecks, which gives the duck the 'freckled' look.

[6] Endemic to Australia, the freckled duck is mainly situated throughout inland regions of the Eastern section of the country—including New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

[8] Due to habitat requirements, distribution of the freckled duck directly correlates to water flow and rainfall in river catchments and wetland systems.

While this species does not appear to have any sort of distinct migratory pathway or seasonal migration to find suitable breeding habitat.

[10] The freckled duck sometimes travels long distances to find a suitable breeding location, and seems to prefer large bodies of fresh water with thick vegetation.

[9] After breeding, the freckled duck disperses to more coastal areas with more permanent bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.

Despite this, it is widely agreed that the freckled duck is a resilient, specialist filter feeder that consumes a range of aquatic vegetation, insects, algae, larvae and crustaceans.

[12][13] Studies have found that the freckled duck prefers to feed in shallow water, using its bill to strain food particles from the mud or sand.

In this short term pairing, the male defends the receptive female during the pre-egg laying stage of the breeding season.

Copulation occurs in the water with the male approaching a receptive female, who adopts a semi-submerged orientation, with her head stretched outwards and tail raised.

Both male and female freckled ducks reach sexual maturity at around 12 months of ages when the first breeding occurrence can commence.

This occurrence is common within freckled duck populations as it enables the offending females to pass on their genetic material while not expending energy to raise their hatchlings.

The ongoing destruction of swamp habitat by water diversion schemes is thought to have the capacity to result in a population decline of up to 20% within the next 15 years.