White-faced Whistling-duck vs Mallard
Dendrocygna viduata compared with Anas platyrhynchos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-faced Whistling-duck | Mallard |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrocygna viduata | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) |
| Wingspan | 42.9 cm (16.9 in) | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Weight | 689.5 g (24.32 oz) | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes subarctic tundra grasses and sedges; winters on coastal salt marshes eating saltmarsh grasses and … | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … |
| Clutch Size | 4-16 | 4-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
White-faced Whistling-duck
Freshwater lakes, marshes, rice paddies, flooded fields, and slow-moving rivers in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America. Tolerates a wide range of modified wetlands. Nomadic, following water availability.
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
White-faced Whistling-duck
A clear, 3-syllable whistle 'wee-wee-WEE' — the origin of 'whistling-duck'. Given in noisy flocks during flight. Also gives a softer 'de-de-de' contact call on water.
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
White-faced Whistling-duck
Found in floodplains and wetlands of the Llanos in Venezuela and eastern Colombia. Sedentary and locally nomadic in wet savannas.
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Conservation Status
White-faced Whistling-duck
Mallard
How to Tell Them Apart
White-faced Whistling-duck
Distinctive white face and throat contrasting with black hindneck. Breast chestnut; sides and flanks barred black and white. Back brown. Long gray legs. Sexes identical; upright whistling-duck posture.
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
White-faced Whistling-duck
A tall elegantly built whistling-duck with a conspicuous white face, chestnut body, barred flanks, and a distinctive three-note whistle. Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Forms large noisy flocks at freshwater sites. Highly gregarious; roosts and nests communally.
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.