Ringed Teal vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Callonetta leucophrys compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ringed Teal | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callonetta leucophrys | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 345.0 g (12.17 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, plant material, and aquatic invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Ringed Teal
Subtropical forests, gallery woodlands, and wooded wetland margins in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. Nests in tree hollows near water. Requires forested streams and rivers.
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
Ringed Teal
Male utters a soft, high-pitched squeak; female gives a low, grunting kow note. Courtship involves quiet twittering exchanges between pairs in South American gallery forests.
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
Ringed Teal
Breeds in the southern Palearctic from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia; winters mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.
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
Ringed Teal
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Ringed Teal
Males have gray head with black crown; pink breast with black spots; chestnut back; buff-white flanks with fine barring. White facial blaze. Females brown with pale supercilium and white spots …
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
Ringed Teal
A small ornate teal. Males have a pink-chestnut breast, grey flanks, and grey-brown back with dark green speculum; females are brown with distinctive white eye-ring and spotted flanks. Found in subtropical forests of South America. Nests in tree cavities. Perches and roosts in trees.
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.