Wandering Whistling-duck vs Common Scoter
Dendrocygna arcuata verglichen mit Melanitta nigra
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Wandering Whistling-duck | Common Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Melanitta nigra |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) | 44,2 cm (17.4 in) |
| Gewicht | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) | 1127,25 g (39.76 oz) |
| Ernährung | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Dives for bivalves, especially cockles, mussels, and clams, in shallow coastal seas. Also eats crustaceans … |
| Gelegegröße | 6-15 | 6-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Gemeinsame Lebensräume
Wandering Whistling-duck only
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Common Scoter only
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
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.
Common Scoter
Male gives a soft, piping whistle; female produces a harsh, rasping call. The male's piping whistle is subtle; female's harsh calls dominate on European winter coasts and estuaries.
Geographic Range & Migration
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Common Scoter
Breeds on moorland and boreal tundra from Iceland and Britain east to western Siberia. Winters on northwestern European coasts and the Baltic Sea.
Erhaltungsstatus
Wandering Whistling-duck
Common Scoter
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Common Scoter
Male is entirely sooty black without white markings; orange-yellow patch on upper bill with small black knob. Female brownish-black above with contrasting pale cream cheeks and throat.
About These Birds
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.
Common Scoter
A medium-sized sea duck (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, males entirely black with a knobbed yellow bill. Breeds on moorland lakes in northern Europe and western Siberia; winters in large flocks on shallow coastal seas. Dives for bivalves and crustaceans. Least Concern; monitored due to sensitivity to offshore energy development and oil spills.