Wandering Whistling-duck vs American Wigeon
Dendrocygna arcuata compared with Mareca americana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wandering Whistling-duck | American Wigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Mareca americana |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) | 50.6 cm (19.9 in) |
| Weight | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) | 938.125 g (33.09 oz) |
| Diet | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet more invertebrate-heavy in breeding … |
| Clutch Size | 6-15 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Wandering Whistling-duck only
None
American Wigeon only
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.
American Wigeon
Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes in boreal and northern forest of North America. Winters on coastal bays, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, and agricultural fields from the southern United States to Central America.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
American Wigeon
Male produces a three-note whew-whew-wheoo whistle; female gives a low grunting purr. The male's clear, looping whistle is distinctive on North American ponds and marshes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
American Wigeon
Resident across Australia and parts of New Guinea. Sedentary in wetlands; locally nomadic in arid interior zones.
Conservation Status
Wandering Whistling-duck
American Wigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
American Wigeon
Males have white forehead and crown; iridescent green eye patch; pinkish-buff breast; gray flanks; white belly. White forewing patch in flight. Females mottled brown-gray with gray head. Dimorphic.
About These Birds
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.
American Wigeon
A medium-sized duck. Males have a creamy-white forehead blaze, broad green eye-stripe, pink-brown body, and white shoulder patch; females are warm brown. Common in North America; winters in coastal wetlands and agricultural land. Grazes on grass and aquatic plants.