Yellow-billed Duck vs Wandering Whistling-duck

Anas undulata verglichen mit Dendrocygna arcuata

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Yellow-billed Duck Wandering Whistling-duck
Wissenschaftlicher Name Anas undulata Dendrocygna arcuata
Ordnung Anseriformes Anseriformes
Familie Anatidae Anatidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 48,1 cm (18.9 in) 37,2 cm (14.6 in)
Gewicht 907,6666666666666 g (32.02 oz) 779,5 g (27.50 oz)
Ernährung Dives for fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates; uses serrated bill to grip prey; diet shifts … Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses …
Gelegegröße 4-12 6-15
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Yellow-billed Duck only

Wandering Whistling-duck only

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Yellow-billed Duck

Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, and dams across eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia and Uganda south to the Cape. Tolerates agricultural impoundments and urban wetlands. Largely sedentary.

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.

Song & Call Comparison

Yellow-billed Duck

Gesang

Female gives a loud, descending quacking series; male utters a soft, raspy rehb note. The female's strong quacking call is the dominant sound at sub-Saharan African wetlands.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Gesang

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.

Geographic Range & Migration

Yellow-billed Duck

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. Sedentary in freshwater wetlands.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Yellow-billed Duck

Least Concern

Wandering Whistling-duck

How to Tell Them Apart

Yellow-billed Duck

Gefieder

Brown body with scaly pale-edged feathers; head brown with paler face and throat. Diagnostic bright yellow bill with black central stripe. Iridescent green-and-black speculum with white borders. Sexes similar.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Gefieder

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.

About These Birds

Yellow-billed Duck

A large dark brown dabbling duck with a striking bright yellow bill. Common in freshwater wetlands across eastern and southern Africa. Often found in groups near reed beds. Closely related to the Mallard lineage. Common in parks and on large lakes.

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.

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