Spotted Whistling-duck vs Red Shoveler
Dendrocygna guttata compared with Spatula platalea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Whistling-duck | Red Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna guttata | Spatula platalea |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.3 cm (16.3 in) | 42.0 cm (16.5 in) |
| Weight | 677.5 g (23.90 oz) | 511.6 g (18.05 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily herbivorous; grazes tundra grasses and sedges; winters on coastal marshes and farmland, switching to … | Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates in shallow water; diet shifts between plant matter and … |
| Clutch Size | 10-11 | 5-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Spotted Whistling-duck
Freshwater wetlands, rice fields, streams, and forest pools in New Guinea, Sulawesi, the Philippines, and Moluccas. Often found near forested rivers and seasonal swamps at low elevations.
Red Shoveler
Freshwater and brackish lakes, marshes, and seasonal lagoons in southern South America from Peru and Bolivia south through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Partially migratory; moves northward in winter.
Song & Call Comparison
Spotted Whistling-duck
A musical, high whistle similar to other whistling-ducks. Call is softer and less far-carrying than White-faced or Black-bellied species. Given in flight and on water.
Red Shoveler
Male emits a low, grunting kuk note; female gives a quiet, rhythmic quacking series. Pairs are generally silent; soft contact calls heard at dusk on South American grassland ponds.
Geographic Range & Migration
Spotted Whistling-duck
Ranges widely across sub-Saharan Africa in open woodland and savanna. Largely sedentary with local seasonal movements to water.
Red Shoveler
Breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and Arctic Canada; winters along the coasts of northwestern Europe and the British Isles.
Conservation Status
Spotted Whistling-duck
Red Shoveler
How to Tell Them Apart
Spotted Whistling-duck
Dark brown above; head and neck dark brown. Underparts heavily spotted white on dark brown ground, giving spotted appearance. Flanks with bold white spots. Pink-red bill and legs. Sexes similar.
Red Shoveler
Males reddish-cinnamon with dense dark spotting; pale blue-gray head with white eye and dark streaks. Pale blue forewing and green speculum in flight. Broad spatulate bill. Females brown, mottled. South …
About These Birds
Spotted Whistling-duck
A small dark brown whistling-duck with bold white spots on its flanks, orange-red bill and legs, and a pale face. Found in tropical wetlands of New Guinea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Often found near freshwater streams and flooded grassland. Less gregarious than other whistling-ducks.
Red Shoveler
A medium-sized shoveler with a distinctive spatula-shaped bill. Males are pale orange-brown with dark spots, grey-blue wing patch, and dark green speculum; females are mottled brown. Found across southern South America. Swims with bill tip in water, filtering zooplankton and seeds.