Laysan Duck vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Anas laysanensis compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Laysan Duck | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas laysanensis | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.7 cm (15.6 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 465.25 g (16.41 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for small fish, aquatic invertebrates, and amphibians; serrated bill grips prey; diet fish-heavy in … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 9-13 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Laysan Duck only
Wandering Whistling-duck only
None
Laysan Duck
Restricted to Laysan Island and Midway Atoll in the Hawaiian Islands. Inhabits the central hypersaline lagoon and surrounding vegetation. Feeds on brine shrimp and flies around the lagoon margin.
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.
Song & Call Comparison
Laysan Duck
Female gives a soft, muffled quacking series; male utters a quiet rasp. Extremely rare; the soft, unobtrusive quacking calls are seldom heard on the remote Laysan Island lagoon.
Wandering Whistling-duck
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.
Geographic Range & Migration
Laysan Duck
Resident in West Africa from Senegal to Nigeria; inhabits rainforest streams and swamps. Sedentary and locally common.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Conservation Status
Laysan Duck
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Laysan Duck
Brown plumage mottled and streaked buff and dark brown. White eye-ring contrasts with dark face. Both sexes similar; females show reduced white eye ring. Iridescent speculum. Critically endangered; only on …
Wandering Whistling-duck
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.
About These Birds
Laysan Duck
A tiny brown dabbling duck with distinctive white around the eye and green speculum. The most range-restricted waterfowl in the world; endemic to Laysan Island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Critically Endangered; brought back from single digits in the early 20th century. Feeds on brine flies.
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.