Coscoroba Swan vs Wandering Whistling-duck

Coscoroba coscoroba comparé à Dendrocygna arcuata

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Coscoroba Swan Wandering Whistling-duck
Nom scientifique Coscoroba coscoroba Dendrocygna arcuata
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 84,2 cm (33.1 in) 37,2 cm (14.6 in)
Poids 4200,0 g (148.15 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 4-9 6-15
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Coscoroba Swan only

Aucun(e)

Wandering Whistling-duck only

Aucun(e)

Coscoroba Swan

Freshwater lakes, marshes, lagoons, and flooded grasslands from southern Brazil through Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Partially migratory; moves northward in winter. Nests in reedy margins.

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

Coscoroba Swan

Chant

A bugling, honking 'coscoroba' call — giving the species its onomatopoeic name. Loud and far-carrying. Less commonly heard than northern hemisphere swans.

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

Coscoroba Swan

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

Coscoroba Swan

Least Concern

Wandering Whistling-duck

How to Tell Them Apart

Coscoroba Swan

Plumage

Entirely white plumage except black wingtips visible in flight. Bright red bill and red legs and feet. Red eye-ring. More goose-like than true swans. Juvenile has brownish wash. Sexes similar.

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

Coscoroba Swan

The smallest swan and the only member of its genus, differing from true swans with a more goose-like head, red-pink bill and legs, and all-white plumage with black wingtips. Found in southern South America. Swims gracefully and grazes shoreline vegetation. Loud coscoroba call is distinctive.

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.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family