Bar-headed Goose vs Black-headed Duck

Anser indicus comparé à Heteronetta atricapilla

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Bar-headed Goose Black-headed Duck
Nom scientifique Anser indicus Heteronetta atricapilla
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 87,6 cm (34.5 in) 34,7 cm (13.7 in)
Poids 2288,0 g (80.71 oz) 528,5 g (18.64 oz)
Régime alimentaire Eats aquatic plants, grasses, and roots; filters invertebrates during breeding; forms large flocks on shallow … Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet …
Taille de la couvée 3-8 2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Bar-headed Goose only

Black-headed Duck only

Aucun(e)

Bar-headed Goose

Breeds on high-altitude lakes and rivers at 4,000–5,000 m in Central Asia (Tibet, Mongolia, Ladakh). Migrates over the Himalayas. Winters on rivers, lakes, and agricultural fields in the Indian subcontinent.

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Song & Call Comparison

Bar-headed Goose

Chant

A nasal, goose-like honking 'wang-wang-wang'. Flocks give persistent calling during high-altitude Himalayan migration — among the highest migrations of any bird species.

Black-headed Duck

Chant

Male gives a soft, raspy peeping note; female produces a muted quack. An obligate brood parasite with reduced vocalizations; subdued calls suit its secretive lifestyle among Argentine reeds.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Bar-headed Goose

Breeds in high Arctic of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska; winters on rocky coasts of eastern North America and western Europe.

Black-headed Duck

Resident in southern South America from southern Brazil and Bolivia south to Argentina and Chile. Found on lakes and marshes in open lowlands.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Bar-headed Goose

Least Concern

Black-headed Duck

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How to Tell Them Apart

Bar-headed Goose

Plumage

White head with two distinctive black bars across crown. Yellow-orange bill and legs. Back and wings pale gray; underparts white. Black-tipped primaries. Sexes similar; famed for Himalayan migration.

Black-headed Duck

Plumage

Male has distinctive jet-black head and neck, warm chestnut-brown back, and pale buff underparts; blue-grey bill with red base. Female is streaked brown above with pale supercilium and whitish underparts.

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About These Birds

Bar-headed Goose

Famous as one of the world's highest-flying birds, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes exceeding 7,000 m during migration. Medium-sized, pale grey with two distinctive black bars on the white head. Breeds on high-altitude lakes; winters in South Asian wetlands. Specialized haemoglobin enables high-altitude flight.

Black-headed Duck

A small diving duck (~530 g) of South America, family Anatidae, and the sole member of genus Heteronetta. Inhabits freshwater marshes and lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Unique among waterfowl as an obligate brood parasite, laying eggs in nests of coots and other waterbirds. Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.

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