Wandering Whistling-duck vs Rosy-billed Pochard
Dendrocygna arcuata compared with Netta peposaca
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wandering Whistling-duck | Rosy-billed Pochard |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Netta peposaca |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) | 46.1 cm (18.1 in) |
| Weight | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) | 1103.4 g (38.92 oz) |
| Diet | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by invertebrates. |
| Clutch Size | 6-15 | 10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Rosy-billed Pochard
Freshwater lakes, marshes, and lagoons in southern South America from central Brazil through Bolivia, Uruguay, and Argentina to Patagonia. Often on large open lakes. Partially migratory; moves northward in winter.
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.
Rosy-billed Pochard
Male gives a deep, burping boom; female produces a loud, grunting quack. The male's resonant booming call during display is among the most powerful calls of South American wildfowl.
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.
Rosy-billed Pochard
Breeds in northern prairies; winters on interior wetlands and coasts from the southern US to Central America.
Conservation Status
Wandering Whistling-duck
Rosy-billed Pochard
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.
Rosy-billed Pochard
Males dark sooty-black with iridescent purple gloss on head; bright rosy-red bill with pink knob. White flanks visible when at rest. Females brown with pale face and gray bill. Bold …
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.
Rosy-billed Pochard
A large striking pochard. Males are black-and-grey with an unmistakable bulging bright red bill knob; females are brown. Found in freshwater lakes of southern South America. Common in the Pampas and Patagonia. Often dives to the lake bottom for aquatic plants.