Wandering Whistling-duck vs Salvadori's Teal
Dendrocygna arcuata compared with Salvadorina waigiuensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wandering Whistling-duck | Salvadori's Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Salvadorina waigiuensis |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) | 345.6666666666667 g (12.19 oz) |
| Diet | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Dabbles for seeds and aquatic invertebrates in shallow wetlands; diet broadly omnivorous; invertebrate intake peaks … |
| Clutch Size | 6-15 | 3-4 |
| 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.
Salvadori's Teal
Fast-flowing clear mountain streams and rivers at 1,000–3,900 m on New Guinea. Requires clean turbulent water with abundant aquatic invertebrates. Avoids lowland and polluted rivers.
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.
Salvadori's Teal
A soft, piping whistle from New Guinea mountain streams. Relatively poorly known; call is a gentle, reedy note. Behavior and vocalizations remain incompletely documented.
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.
Salvadori's Teal
Breeds across northern Eurasia; winters in tropical Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Broad Palearctic–Oriental migration.
Conservation Status
Wandering Whistling-duck
Salvadori's Teal
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.
Salvadori's Teal
Dark brown plumage with fine pale spotting and barring throughout. Head dark brown; underparts barred brown and buff. Yellow bill with dark tip. Legs and feet yellow. Unique highland New …
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.
Salvadori's Teal
A small brown torrent-adapted duck with a yellow bill, spotted body, and barred flanks. Endemic to New Guinea's mountain rivers. Often compared to New Zealand's Blue Duck in ecological niche. Inhabits fast-flowing alpine streams. Poorly studied; listed as Vulnerable.