White-winged Duck vs Blue-billed Teal
Asarcornis scutulata compared with Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-winged Duck | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Asarcornis scutulata | Spatula hottentota |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 68.3 cm (26.9 in) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 2950.0 g (104.06 oz) | 269.2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, plant material, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet varies widely … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Clutch Size | 6-15 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
White-winged Duck
Undisturbed lowland tropical forest near slow rivers, pools, and forest swamps at low elevations in northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sumatra. Requires large trees with nest cavities near permanent water.
Blue-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal rains. Common but easily overlooked among reed beds.
Song & Call Comparison
White-winged Duck
Critically endangered; extremely rare in wild. Gives low guttural hissing calls and soft wing-beating sounds. Vocalizations in wild scarcely documented given its rarity.
Blue-billed Teal
Male utters a soft, teal-like peep; female gives a muted quack. Pairs call quietly in dense papyrus; soft contact calls help birds maintain proximity in thick African marsh vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-winged Duck
Breeds in northern Eurasia; winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A classic Palearctic–African migrant with a wide wintering range.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Conservation Status
White-winged Duck
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
White-winged Duck
Dark brown body with pale spotting on head and neck. Bold white wing patch visible in flight. Yellowish-orange bill; legs orange. Head pale buffish-white speckled brown. Critically endangered SE Asian …
Blue-billed Teal
Small; males have pale blue-gray bill contrasting with brown-gray body. Head finely spotted; underparts barred brown and white. Males show powder-blue forewing in flight. Females browner. African marsh species.
About These Birds
White-winged Duck
A large dark duck with a pale speckled head, brownish body, and broad white wing patch visible in flight. One of Asia's most endangered ducks. Found in undisturbed lowland forest near rivers in South and Southeast Asia. Nests in large tree hollows. Threatened by deforestation and hunting.
Blue-billed Teal
A small dark teal with blue-grey bill and legs, brown-streaked plumage, and fine pale spotting on the flanks. The most widespread teal in sub-Saharan Africa. Found on freshwater lakes and marshes. Highly nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. Swims low in the water like a pochard.