Northern Pintail vs Spotted Whistling-duck
Anas acuta compared with Dendrocygna guttata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Pintail | Spotted Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas acuta | Dendrocygna guttata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 51.3 cm (20.2 in) | 41.3 cm (16.3 in) |
| Weight | 912.75 g (32.20 oz) | 677.5 g (23.90 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow water; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic … | Primarily herbivorous; grazes tundra grasses and sedges; winters on coastal marshes and farmland, switching to … |
| Clutch Size | 3-12 | 10-11 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Northern Pintail only
None
Spotted Whistling-duck only
None
Northern Pintail
Breeds on shallow prairie wetlands, tundra ponds, and arctic meadows. Winters on coastal estuaries, lagoons, rice paddies, and agricultural fields across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Highly migratory.
Spotted Whistling-duck
Freshwater wetlands, rice fields, streams, and forest pools in New Guinea, Sulawesi, the Philippines, and Moluccas. Often found near forested rivers and seasonal swamps at low elevations.
Song & Call Comparison
Northern Pintail
Male produces a low, mellow whistle; female gives a hoarse, nasal quack. The male's soft, flute-like call is one of the most distinctive sounds of northern wetlands in spring.
Spotted Whistling-duck
A musical, high whistle similar to other whistling-ducks. Call is softer and less far-carrying than White-faced or Black-bellied species. Given in flight and on water.
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Pintail
Breeds in Arctic Canada, Alaska, and Greenland; winters along the coasts of the North Atlantic from Labrador to West Africa.
Spotted Whistling-duck
Ranges widely across sub-Saharan Africa in open woodland and savanna. Largely sedentary with local seasonal movements to water.
Conservation Status
Northern Pintail
Spotted Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Northern Pintail
Breeding males have chocolate-brown head; white neck stripe extending to breast; gray flanks with long pointed central tail feathers. Females mottled brown with pointed tail and gray bill. Elegant and …
Spotted Whistling-duck
Dark brown above; head and neck dark brown. Underparts heavily spotted white on dark brown ground, giving spotted appearance. Flanks with bold white spots. Pink-red bill and legs. Sexes similar.
About These Birds
Northern Pintail
A large elegant dabbling duck with a long slender neck. Males have a chocolate-brown head, white underparts and neck stripe, fine grey body, and dramatically long central tail feathers. Highly migratory; one of the world's most abundant ducks. Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions worldwide.
Spotted Whistling-duck
A small dark brown whistling-duck with bold white spots on its flanks, orange-red bill and legs, and a pale face. Found in tropical wetlands of New Guinea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Often found near freshwater streams and flooded grassland. Less gregarious than other whistling-ducks.