Wandering Whistling-duck vs Baikal Teal
Dendrocygna arcuata compared with Sibirionetta formosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Wandering Whistling-duck | Baikal Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Sibirionetta formosa |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) | 41.2 cm (16.2 in) |
| Weight | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) | 446.75 g (15.76 oz) |
| Diet | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Dabbles for seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and plant matter; omnivorous diet varies with season and water … |
| Clutch Size | 6-15 | 4-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Wandering Whistling-duck only
None
Baikal Teal 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.
Baikal Teal
Breeds in boreal taiga along Siberian rivers and boggy ground from western to northeastern Siberia. Winters on freshwater lakes and rice fields in South Korea, Japan, and eastern China.
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.
Baikal Teal
Male gives a soft, liquid wot-wot call; female produces a low, nasal quack. Wintering flocks create a musical murmuring chorus of whistled notes on East Asian wetlands.
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.
Baikal Teal
Breeds in montane and boreal zones across Eurasia; winters at lower elevations and southern latitudes in Europe and Asia.
Conservation Status
Wandering Whistling-duck
Baikal 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.
Baikal Teal
Males have exquisitely patterned green-and-buff head with bold white and black facial stripes. Pinkish breast with black spots; gray flanks; long drooping scapulars. Females brown with white loral spot and …
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.
Baikal Teal
A strikingly beautiful teal with intricately patterned golden, green, black, and white head; pink-brown breast; and grey flanks. Breeds in Siberian taiga; winters in East Asia. Once seriously depleted, now recovering. Forms spectacular flocks of hundreds of thousands at South Korean wintering sites.