Red-billed Teal vs Greater White-fronted Goose
Anas erythrorhyncha compared with Anser albifrons
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-billed Teal | Greater White-fronted Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas erythrorhyncha | Anser albifrons |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.0 cm (16.9 in) | 81.6 cm (32.1 in) |
| Weight | 648.0 g (22.86 oz) | 2471.0 g (87.16 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … |
| Clutch Size | 5-13 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Red-billed Teal only
None
Greater White-fronted Goose only
Red-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded fields across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal flooding. Very tolerant of saline conditions.
Greater White-fronted Goose
Breeds on Arctic and subarctic tundra and peatlands. Winters on estuaries, agricultural fields, freshwater marshes, and flooded meadows across Europe, Asia, and North America. One of the most widespread geese.
Song & Call Comparison
Red-billed Teal
Female produces a loud, nasal quacking series; male gives a soft, nasal grunt. Both sexes call with emphatic, honking quacks that carry across African open wetlands and dams.
Greater White-fronted Goose
A loud, laughing 'kow-lyuk' or musical 'wah-wah'. Gives a distinctive high-pitched yodeling quality lacking in Greylag. Highly vocal in large winter flocks.
Geographic Range & Migration
Red-billed Teal
Greater White-fronted Goose
Breeds in the potholes region of the northern Great Plains; winters in the southern United States and along the Gulf Coast.
Conservation Status
Red-billed Teal
Greater White-fronted Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Red-billed Teal
Diagnostic bright pink-red bill with dark ridge contrasting with dark brown cap. Body brown, finely scalloped. White sides of face. Pale buff-white speculum with dark border. Sexes similar. Sub-Saharan Africa.
Greater White-fronted Goose
Brown-gray body with white forehead patch bordered by white band at bill base. Underparts with bold irregular black bars on belly. Orange bill; orange-yellow legs. Juveniles lack white front and …
About These Birds
Red-billed Teal
A medium-sized teal with a distinctive red bill, dark brown cap and back, pale cheeks, and fine barring on the flanks. Common in sub-Saharan Africa, especially eastern and southern Africa. Nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. One of Africa's most abundant ducks.
Greater White-fronted Goose
A medium-large goose with a white forehead patch, orange bill, grey-brown plumage, and variable black barring on the belly. Widespread and numerous; one of the most abundant geese in the world. Breeds across the high Arctic; winters in a wide range of temperate wetland and agricultural habitats.