Indian Spot-billed Duck vs Greater White-fronted Goose
Anas poecilorhyncha compared with Anser albifrons
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Spot-billed Duck | Greater White-fronted Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas poecilorhyncha | Anser albifrons |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 54.4 cm (21.4 in) | 81.6 cm (32.1 in) |
| Weight | 1220.0 g (43.03 oz) | 2471.0 g (87.16 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for fish and aquatic invertebrates in clear cold streams; serrated bill adapted for catching … | Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Indian Spot-billed Duck only
None
Greater White-fronted Goose only
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, rice paddies, and tanks across the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. Common near human habitation. Largely sedentary with some local seasonal movement.
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Female gives a loud, emphatic quacking series; male produces a raspy rehb note. Calls are Mallard-like but slightly lower; flocks create a cacophonous quacking chorus on Indian lakes.
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Resident in freshwater lakes and rivers across Southeast Asia, from Myanmar to Indonesia and the Philippines.
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Greater White-fronted Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Large brownish duck with pale face and distinctive yellow-tipped black bill with red basal spot. Dark cap and eye stripe. Iridescent green speculum with white border. White tertials visible at …
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
A large brown dabbling duck with distinctive yellow-tipped black bill, red spot at the bill base, white tertials, and blue-green speculum. Common across South and Southeast Asia. Found in a wide range of freshwater habitats. Largely non-migratory.
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.