Common Pochard vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Aythya ferina compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Pochard | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya ferina | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.7 cm (16.4 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 845.5 g (29.82 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow water; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 3-22 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Common Pochard
Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes with emergent vegetation across Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe east to Siberia. Winters on large open lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries.
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
Common Pochard
Male emits a soft, wheezing purr; female gives a harsh, grating quacking series. The male's gentle, sibilant purring contrasts with the female's loud, grating call on European and Asian lakes.
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
Common Pochard
Breeds across northern and central North America; winters in Mexico, Central America, and along both US 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
Common Pochard
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Pochard
Males have chestnut-red head and neck; black breast; pale gray body; black undertail. Red eye. Blue-gray bill with dark base and tip. Females brown with pale face and eye-ring. Gray …
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
Common Pochard
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rich chestnut-red head, black breast, and pale grey body; females are brown with a pale face. Widely distributed across Eurasia. Population declining sharply; Vulnerable on European Red List.
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.