Ross's Goose vs Wandering Whistling-duck

Anser rossii مقارنةً بـ Dendrocygna arcuata

Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Ross's Goose Wandering Whistling-duck
الاسم العلمي Anser rossii Dendrocygna arcuata
الرتبة Anseriformes Anseriformes
الفصيلة Anatidae Anatidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 69,2 cm (27.2 in) 37,2 cm (14.6 in)
الوزن 1513,5 g (53.39 oz) 779,5 g (27.50 oz)
النظام الغذائي Eats aquatic plants, seeds, and grasses near wetlands; omnivorous in breeding; takes invertebrates in shallow … Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses …
عدد البيض في الوضع 2-8 6-15
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

Ross's Goose only

بلا

Wandering Whistling-duck only

بلا

Ross's Goose

Breeds on tundra near Hudson Bay and the central Canadian Arctic. Winters in agricultural fields, rice paddies, and wetlands in the central and southern United States, particularly California's Central Valley.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Tropical freshwater marshes, flooded grasslands, swamps, and lake margins from the Philippines and Indonesia through Papua New Guinea to northern and eastern Australia. Nomadic following wet season flooding.

Song & Call Comparison

Ross's Goose

الغناء

A high, nasal yelping 'whoik' or 'hoik' — higher-pitched than Snow Goose. Flocks mix with Snow Geese; calls differ noticeably by pitch. Fast, repeated notes in flight.

Wandering Whistling-duck

الغناء

A soft whistle 'whi-whi-whi' in flight. Less vocal than other whistling-ducks; flocks tend to be quieter. Given at dawn and dusk during flight to roosting or feeding areas.

Geographic Range & Migration

Ross's Goose

Breeds in high Arctic tundra; winters at sea in the North Atlantic from Iceland to the British Isles and northeastern United States.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.

حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Ross's Goose

Least Concern

Wandering Whistling-duck

How to Tell Them Apart

Ross's Goose

الريش

Smallest white North American goose; pure white plumage with black wingtips. Short triangular pink bill with warty pinkish-gray base. Pink-red legs. Occasional blue morph. Sexes similar.

Wandering Whistling-duck

الريش

Rich chestnut-brown head and neck; dark brown back. Flanks rufous with pale buff streaks and dark spots. Belly blackish. Long, dark pinkish legs. Upright posture typical of whistling-ducks. Sexes similar.

About These Birds

Ross's Goose

A small compact white goose with black wingtips, a stubby pink bill with a warty blue-grey base, and a rounded head. One of the smallest North American geese. Breeds in the Canadian Arctic; winters in the southern United States. Population has grown dramatically since the 1960s.

Wandering Whistling-duck

A medium-sized whistling-duck with rufous-brown body, dark brown back, pale buff underparts, and a chestnut collar. Found in tropical wetlands from Indonesia to Australia and Pacific islands. Highly social and nomadic. Forages by dabbling and diving in shallow freshwater.

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