Lesser Whistling-duck vs Mallard
Dendrocygna javanica compared with Anas platyrhynchos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Whistling-duck | Mallard |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna javanica | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) |
| Wingspan | 38.8 cm (15.3 in) | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Weight | 525.0 g (18.52 oz) | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … |
| Clutch Size | 7-17 | 4-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Lesser Whistling-duck
Freshwater wetlands, lakes, rice paddies, mangroves, and slow rivers across South and Southeast Asia from India through southern China to Borneo and Indonesia. Common near cultivated land and human settlements.
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Whistling-duck
A softer, higher-pitched whistle than other Dendrocygna. Call is a quick 'we-we' given in flight. Smaller size reflected in higher-pitched and thinner quality of call.
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lesser Whistling-duck
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Conservation Status
Lesser Whistling-duck
Mallard
How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Whistling-duck
Warm chestnut-brown overall; head and neck brown; upperparts dark brown. Chestnut rump and upper-tail conspicuous in flight. Flanks chestnut with pale streaks. Bill and legs dark gray. Sexes similar.
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
About These Birds
Lesser Whistling-duck
A small warm brown whistling-duck with chestnut upper-tail coverts, a pale face, and dark brown cap. The most widespread and common whistling-duck in Asia. Found in freshwater wetlands from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. Nests in holes in trees and sometimes in thatched roofs.
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.