Hardhead vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Aythya australis comparado con Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Hardhead | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Aythya australis | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Orden | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familia | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 42,7 cm (16.8 in) | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Peso | 803,75 g (28.35 oz) | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Dieta | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal habitats; diet shifts between invertebrate types … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 6-18 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Hardhead
Deep freshwater lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across Australia and New Guinea. Nomadic in Australia, following seasonal inland flooding. Prefers deep water with submerged aquatic plants.
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
Hardhead
Male produces a deep, purring wheeze; female gives a grating quacking series. Calls closely resemble Common Pochard; the female's harsh notes carry far across Australian freshwater lakes.
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
Hardhead
Breeds in northern prairie potholes; winters along the Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia to Baja California.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Estado de conservación
Hardhead
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Hardhead
Males dark chocolate-brown with white undertail and flanks. White eye conspicuous. Blue-gray bill with white band and black tip. Females similar but brown with brown eye. Bold white wing stripe …
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
Hardhead
El porrón australiano es un pato buceador endémico de Australia y Nueva Zelanda con plumaje pardo-rojizo oscuro y el ojo blanco en los machos. Es relativamente común en lagos y embalses de agua dulce con profundidad suficiente para bucear. Se alimenta principalmente de vegetación acuática sumergida y pequeños invertebrados. Se observa frecuentemente formando grandes bandadas fuera de la temporada de cría.
Wandering Whistling-duck
El pato silbador vagabundo es un pato silbador de distribución amplia en las regiones tropicales de Asia y el Pacífico, desde Borneo e Indonesia hasta Nueva Guinea y Australia. Tiene plumaje castaño con blanco y negro en los flancos. Habita en humedales tropicales, pantanos, lagunas, estanques y arrozales. Es una especie nómada que sigue las lluvias en busca de humedales.