Redhead vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Aythya americana compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Redhead | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya americana | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.7 cm (17.2 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 1055.0 g (37.21 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in shallow coastal water; hard-shelled benthic prey dominates … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 7-14 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Redhead
Breeds on prairie marshes and potholes in western North America. Winters on large bays, coastal waters, lakes, and reservoirs across the southern United States and Mexico. Large concentrations on Laguna Madre, Texas.
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
Redhead
Male gives a low, mewing may-heah call; female produces a purring, rolled quacking. The mewing, nasal call is unlike any other North American duck; flocks create a cat-like chorus.
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
Redhead
Breeds in boreal and temperate North America; winters from southern Canada to northern South America along both coasts.
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
Redhead
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Redhead
Males have rounded rufous-red head; black breast and undertail; pale gray body. Blue-gray bill with white ring and black tip. Red eye. Females brown with paler face. Rounder head than …
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
Redhead
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rounded rufous-red head, black breast and rear, and grey body; females are brown. Highly parasitic breeder—females frequently lay eggs in other ducks' nests. Found across North America. Winters on large bays and coastal waters.
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.