Swan Goose vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Anser cygnoid verglichen mit Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Swan Goose | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Anser cygnoid | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Endangered | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 84,4 cm (33.2 in) | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Gewicht | 3343,75 g (117.95 oz) | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Ernährung | Herbivore; grazes aquatic plants and grasses at wetland margins; takes invertebrates in spring; diet shifts … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Gelegegröße | 4-8 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Swan Goose
Breeds on steppe lakes, rivers, and meadows in Mongolia, Siberia, and northeastern China. Winters in eastern China's Yangtze River floodplain and coastal wetlands. Wild populations critically small.
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
Swan Goose
A deep, resonant 'honk'; less frequently heard than Greylag. The EN status reflects serious population decline; vocalizations are considered similar to Greylag Goose.
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.
Geographic Range & Migration
Swan Goose
Breeds in the tundra and boreal zones of Alaska and Canada; winters on the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Erhaltungsstatus
Swan Goose
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Swan Goose
Long neck with rich chestnut hindneck stripe. Forehead and crown dark brown; face and throat whitish. Upperparts grayish-brown; underparts pale. Long black bill. Pink legs. Ancestor of Chinese domestic geese.
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.
About These Birds
Swan Goose
A large long-necked goose with warm brown body, pale underparts, a dark brown cap, and a long straight black bill. The ancestor of the Chinese domestic Swan Goose breed. Wild populations are declining sharply. Breeds in Mongolia and Siberia; winters in eastern China. Endangered in the wild.
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.