Spotted Whistling-duck vs Common Shelduck
Dendrocygna guttata verglichen mit Tadorna tadorna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Spotted Whistling-duck | Common Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Dendrocygna guttata | Tadorna tadorna |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 41,3 cm (16.3 in) | 62,8 cm (24.7 in) |
| Gewicht | 677,5 g (23.90 oz) | 1035,5 g (36.53 oz) |
| Ernährung | Primarily herbivorous; grazes tundra grasses and sedges; winters on coastal marshes and farmland, switching to … | Eats seeds, leaves, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet broadly omnivorous and varies … |
| Gelegegröße | 10-11 | 3-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Gemeinsame Lebensräume
Spotted Whistling-duck only
Common Shelduck only
-
Spotted Whistling-duck
Freshwater wetlands, rice fields, streams, and forest pools in New Guinea, Sulawesi, the Philippines, and Moluccas. Often found near forested rivers and seasonal swamps at low elevations.
Common Shelduck
Coastal estuaries, mudflats, saltmarshes, sand dunes, and inland saline lakes from northwest Europe east across Eurasia to China. Winters mainly on tidal estuaries and coastal wetlands. Nests in burrows.
Song & Call Comparison
Spotted Whistling-duck
A musical, high whistle similar to other whistling-ducks. Call is softer and less far-carrying than White-faced or Black-bellied species. Given in flight and on water.
Common Shelduck
Male gives a whistled 'wheee'; female gives a cackling series of rapid nasal 'ak-ak-ak' notes. One of the most sexually dimorphic calls of any shelduck species.
Geographic Range & Migration
Spotted Whistling-duck
Ranges widely across sub-Saharan Africa in open woodland and savanna. Largely sedentary with local seasonal movements to water.
Common Shelduck
Breeds in Siberian tundra; winters in eastern and southern Africa, and in South and Southeast Asia. Trans-hemispheric migrant.
Erhaltungsstatus
Spotted Whistling-duck
Common Shelduck
How to Tell Them Apart
Spotted Whistling-duck
Dark brown above; head and neck dark brown. Underparts heavily spotted white on dark brown ground, giving spotted appearance. Flanks with bold white spots. Pink-red bill and legs. Sexes similar.
Common Shelduck
White body with dark green head, broad chestnut breastband, and black scapular stripes. Red bill with basal knob in males. Green speculum and black wingtips. Underparts white with black belly …
About These Birds
Spotted Whistling-duck
A small dark brown whistling-duck with bold white spots on its flanks, orange-red bill and legs, and a pale face. Found in tropical wetlands of New Guinea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Often found near freshwater streams and flooded grassland. Less gregarious than other whistling-ducks.
Common Shelduck
A large distinctive shelduck with a white body, dark green head, broad chestnut breast band, and a bright red bill with a knob in males. Common along European and Asian coasts and estuaries. Nests in rabbit burrows or hollow trees. Large moult migrations concentrate in Germany's Wadden Sea.