Wandering Whistling-duck vs White-headed Steamerduck

Dendrocygna arcuata مقارنةً بـ Tachyeres leucocephalus

Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Wandering Whistling-duck White-headed Steamerduck
الاسم العلمي Dendrocygna arcuata Tachyeres leucocephalus
الرتبة Anseriformes Anseriformes
الفصيلة Anatidae Anatidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Vulnerable
الطول
طول الجناح 37,2 cm (14.6 in) 55,0 cm (21.7 in)
الوزن 779,5 g (27.50 oz) 3250,0 g (114.64 oz)
النظام الغذائي Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … --
عدد البيض في الوضع 6-15 3-6
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

بلا

Wandering Whistling-duck only

White-headed Steamerduck only

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.

White-headed Steamerduck

Rocky coastal shores, sea channels, and sheltered bays along the Patagonian coast of Chubut Province, Argentina. Flightless; strictly coastal. Nests on rocky headlands. Very limited geographic range.

Song & Call Comparison

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.

White-headed Steamerduck

الغناء

A deep, rattling call from Patagonian coastal habitat. VU status; calls similar to Magellanic Steamerduck but possibly subtly distinct. Vocalizations in wild remain understudied.

Geographic Range & Migration

Wandering Whistling-duck

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

White-headed Steamerduck

حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Wandering Whistling-duck

Vulnerable

White-headed Steamerduck

How to Tell Them Apart

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.

White-headed Steamerduck

الريش

Flightless. Males have white head and neck contrasting with dark gray-brown body; orange bill. Females brown with white facial markings and less contrasting head. Restricted to Chubut, Argentina coast.

About These Birds

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.

White-headed Steamerduck

A large flightless steamerduck with grey body and an entirely white head in males, found only along the Patagonian coast of Chubut Province, Argentina. One of the rarest ducks in South America; range extends for only about 400 km of coastline.

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