Madagascar Pochard vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Aythya innotata compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Madagascar Pochard | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya innotata | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.4 cm (14.7 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 685.0 g (24.16 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal and freshwater habitats. | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 6-10 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Madagascar Pochard
Restricted to Lake Matsaborimena in the highlands of northern Madagascar at about 1,500 m altitude. Uses deep-water mountain lakes with aquatic vegetation. Critically Endangered; tiny wild population.
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
Madagascar Pochard
Critically Endangered; produces a soft, Aythya-like purring and grating quacking. Calls are not well-documented; likely similar to closely related Ferruginous Duck based on phylogeny.
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
Madagascar Pochard
Breeds across the northern boreal zone of Canada and Alaska; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.
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
Madagascar Pochard
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Madagascar Pochard
Males have brown head and neck; dark brown back; pale gray flanks with white undertail. White eye. Blue-gray bill. Females browner with pale face patch and brown eye. Critically endangered; …
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
Madagascar Pochard
One of the world's rarest ducks; considered possibly extinct until 2006 rediscovery. A small brown pochard with a white eye in males. Found on an extremely small highland lake in Madagascar. Critically Endangered; intensive conservation efforts underway to save the tiny wild population.
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.