Although of recent semiaquatic origin the tree duck lives mainly on land.
The tree duck, Dendrocygna volubaris, is a whistling duck that lives near the waterways of the tropical forests in Australia, descended from the plumed whistling duck.
The tree duck is a water-living creature that almost seems to have changed its mind about its preferred habitat and appears to be in the process of undergoing a change back to the more arboreal lifestyle of its remote ancestors. Although it is still duck-like in appearance, the webs on its feet are now degenerate and its rounded beak more suitable for feeding on terrestrial insects, lizards and fruit than on water organisms. The tree duck still takes to the water to escape predators and its young do not venture onto land until they are nearly adults.