Wandering Whistling-duck vs Australian Shelduck
Dendrocygna arcuata verglichen mit Tadorna tadornoides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Wandering Whistling-duck | Australian Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Tadorna tadornoides |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) | 70,7 cm (27.8 in) |
| Gewicht | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) | 1424,5 g (50.25 oz) |
| Ernährung | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material in spring; forages in shallow ponds; diet … |
| Gelegegröße | 6-15 | 5-19 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Gemeinsame Lebensräume
Wandering Whistling-duck only
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Australian Shelduck 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.
Australian Shelduck
Inland salt lakes, ephemeral lakes, estuaries, coastal bays, and agricultural dams in southern Australia from Queensland west to Western Australia. Nests in burrows, hollow logs, and tree cavities.
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.
Australian Shelduck
Male gives a whistling 'zzzeet'; female gives a loud, deep cackling 'uk-uk-uk'. Loud, far-carrying calls from Australian wetlands. Considered one of the noisier shelducks.
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.
Australian Shelduck
Breeds across the Palearctic from Iceland and western Europe east to Siberia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Erhaltungsstatus
Wandering Whistling-duck
Australian Shelduck
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.
Australian Shelduck
Males dark chestnut with black head showing green gloss; white neck collar. White inner wing with iridescent green speculum. Females have white eye-ring and white facial area. Chestnut breast; black …
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.
Australian Shelduck
A large shelduck with a dark bottle-green head, chestnut breast band in females, and dark body with white wing coverts. Common in southern Australia. One of Australia's largest ducks. Gregarious and conspicuous; forms flocks on inland salt lakes and coastal bays.