West Indian Whistling-duck vs Mandarin Duck
Dendrocygna arborea مقارنةً بـ Aix galericulata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| السمة | West Indian Whistling-duck | Mandarin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| الاسم العلمي | Dendrocygna arborea | Aix galericulata |
| الرتبة | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| الفصيلة | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| حالة الحفاظ | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| الطول | — | 44,0 cm (17.3 in) |
| طول الجناح | 51,3 cm (20.2 in) | 70,0 cm (27.6 in) |
| الوزن | 1030,0 g (36.33 oz) | 570,0 g (20.11 oz) |
| النظام الغذائي | Eats grasses, sedges, and grains; migratory goose foraging in Arctic tundra in summer; overwinters on … | Seeds, acorns, grains, aquatic plants, insects, snails, and small fish. Forages by dabbling, walking, and … |
| عدد البيض في الوضع | 4-16 | 7-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
West Indian Whistling-duck only
Mandarin Duck only
بلا
West Indian Whistling-duck
Freshwater lakes, mangrove swamps, palm savannas, and forested wetlands in the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Nests in palm crowns and hollow trees. Highly dependent on Caribbean wet forests and freshwater lagoons.
Mandarin Duck
Wooded lakes, rivers, and ponds surrounded by dense forest. Unlike most ducks, regularly perches in trees and nests in tree cavities.
Song & Call Comparison
West Indian Whistling-duck
A loud, 3-syllable whistle 'whee-whee-whee'. The NT conservation status reflects population pressures. Less commonly heard than its more abundant whistling-duck relatives.
Mandarin Duck
Male gives a low whistled 'hib' or 'weep'. Female utters a soft quacking 'kek'. Generally quiet and secretive. No loud territorial song; vocalizations subtle and brief.
Geographic Range & Migration
West Indian Whistling-duck
Found in grassy wetlands and floodplains of Madagascar. Non-migratory and endemic to the island's eastern marshes.
Mandarin Duck
Native to East Asia including eastern Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. Feral populations established in Britain and western Europe.
حالة الحفاظ
West Indian Whistling-duck
Mandarin Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
West Indian Whistling-duck
Dark brown upperparts; head and neck dark with pale sides. Flanks black with bold white spots. Breast dark brown; belly blackish with white flank streaks. Long dark legs. Largest Dendrocygna. …
Mandarin Duck
Breeding males have an elaborate pattern of orange, green, white, and purple with distinctive orange sail feathers on the back. Females are grey-brown with a white eye-ring and stripe.
Small red bill in breeding males, pinkish in females
About These Birds
West Indian Whistling-duck
A large dark whistling-duck with brown and black plumage, a pale face, and chestnut underparts with dark streaks. Endemic to the Caribbean. The largest native duck in the West Indies; listed as Vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss. Roosts communally in palms and forest trees.
Mandarin Duck
The mandarin duck is widely considered the most beautiful duck in the world. In East Asian culture, mandarin ducks symbolize love and fidelity because they form strong pair bonds. Unlike most ducks, mandarins nest in tree holes up to 9 meters above the ground, and day-old ducklings must leap to the ground.