Ruddy-headed Goose vs Wandering Whistling-duck

Chloephaga rubidiceps comparé à Dendrocygna arcuata

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Ruddy-headed Goose Wandering Whistling-duck
Nom scientifique Chloephaga rubidiceps Dendrocygna arcuata
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 65,1 cm (25.6 in) 37,2 cm (14.6 in)
Poids 1756,8333333333333 g (61.97 oz) 779,5 g (27.50 oz)
Régime alimentaire -- Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses …
Taille de la couvée 3-8 6-15
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Aucun(e)

Ruddy-headed Goose only

Wandering Whistling-duck only

Ruddy-headed Goose

Breeds on open tussock grasslands and moorland in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. Mainland wintering population on Patagonian grasslands now critically small. Falkland Islands population relatively stable.

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

Ruddy-headed Goose

Chant

A high, whistled 'whee' from males and a cackling rattle from females. Calls similar to Ashy-headed Goose. Falkland Islands population; calls in open coastal grassland.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Chant

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

Ruddy-headed Goose

Wandering Whistling-duck

Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Ruddy-headed Goose

Least Concern

Wandering Whistling-duck

How to Tell Them Apart

Ruddy-headed Goose

Plumage

Distinctive rufous-brown head and neck; body barred rufous and black above; underparts buff-white finely barred. Orange-yellow legs. White wing patches in flight. Compact; sexes similar. Falklands and Patagonia.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Plumage

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

Ruddy-headed Goose

A small sheldgoose with a rich rufous-brown head and neck, buff-white belly, and barred back. One of the world's rarest geese; mainland population now nearly extinct. Breeds in Tierra del Fuego; main stronghold remains the Falkland Islands. Winters on the Argentine pampas.

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.

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