Wandering Whistling-duck vs King Eider
Dendrocygna arcuata verglichen mit Somateria spectabilis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Wandering Whistling-duck | King Eider |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Somateria spectabilis |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) | 53,3 cm (21.0 in) |
| Gewicht | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) | 1507,5 g (53.18 oz) |
| Ernährung | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Dives for sea urchins, molluscs, and crustaceans in Arctic coastal waters. Shifts to freshwater invertebrates … |
| Gelegegröße | 6-15 | 1-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
King Eider
Male produces a melodious, ascending ooo-wuh cooing; female gives a guttural grunt. The male's haunting, dove-like call is one of the most atmospheric sounds of the High Arctic in spring.
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.
King Eider
Circumpolar High Arctic breeder in North America, Greenland, Svalbard, and Russia. Winters at sea in the North Atlantic and Bering Sea.
Erhaltungsstatus
Wandering Whistling-duck
King Eider
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.
King Eider
Male has bluish-grey crown, pale greenish cheeks, vivid orange-red frontal shield, black back and wings, and white breast patch. Female is warm rufous-brown with dark crescentic barring throughout.
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.
King Eider
A large sea duck (~1.5 kg) of the family Anatidae, males adorned with an ornate orange frontal shield and vivid plumage. Inhabits Arctic coasts and tundra, migrating to subarctic seas in winter. Dives up to 25 m to forage on mussels, clams, and sea urchins. Least Concern; circumpolar breeding population remains stable.