Mexican Duck vs Spotted Whistling-duck
Anas diazi compared with Dendrocygna guttata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mexican Duck | Spotted Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas diazi | Dendrocygna guttata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 41.3 cm (16.3 in) |
| Weight | 1003.75 g (35.41 oz) | 677.5 g (23.90 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish, molluscs, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in fresh and salt water; diet shifts between … | Primarily herbivorous; grazes tundra grasses and sedges; winters on coastal marshes and farmland, switching to … |
| Clutch Size | 1-13 | 10-11 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Mexican Duck only
Spotted Whistling-duck only
Mexican Duck
Freshwater lakes, marshes, and rivers at 1,000–2,500 m in the highlands of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Uses agricultural ponds and irrigation canals.
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
Mexican Duck
Female gives a Mallard-like, descending quacking series; male utters a soft, nasal grunt. Vocalizations essentially identical to Mallard; found in Mexican interior wetlands and the Rio Grande.
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
Mexican Duck
Breeds in central and eastern Siberia; winters in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the East African coast.
Spotted Whistling-duck
Ranges widely across sub-Saharan Africa in open woodland and savanna. Largely sedentary with local seasonal movements to water.
Conservation Status
Mexican Duck
Spotted Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Mexican Duck
Similar to Mottled Duck; mottled brown plumage with pale buff head showing dark crown and eye stripe. Iridescent blue-purple speculum with white borders. Yellow-orange bill. Both sexes similar. SW USA …
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
Mexican Duck
A large dabbling duck resembling a female Mallard with an olive-green bill, blue speculum, and orange-yellow legs. Found in highland lakes and marshes of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Often considered a Mallard subspecies; sometimes treated as distinct due to limited hybridization.
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.