Wandering Whistling-duck vs Red-breasted Merganser

Dendrocygna arcuata comparé à Mergus serrator

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Wandering Whistling-duck Red-breasted Merganser
Nom scientifique Dendrocygna arcuata Mergus serrator
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 37,2 cm (14.6 in) 46,7 cm (18.4 in)
Poids 779,5 g (27.50 oz) 1058,3333333333333 g (37.33 oz)
Régime alimentaire Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … Dives for small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal and freshwater habitats. Pursues fish …
Taille de la couvée 6-15 6-14
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Wandering Whistling-duck only

Aucun(e)

Red-breasted Merganser only

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.

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Song & Call Comparison

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.

Red-breasted Merganser

Chant

Male produces a harsh, rasping series of notes; female gives a rough, guttural grunting. The harsh, rattling call is louder than Goosander; pairs and flocks create a rasping coastal cacophony.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Wandering Whistling-duck

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

Red-breasted Merganser

Circumpolar breeder in boreal and Arctic zones. Winters on coasts and large water bodies south to the Mediterranean and southern Asia.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Wandering Whistling-duck

Least Concern

Red-breasted Merganser

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How to Tell Them Apart

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.

Red-breasted Merganser

Plumage

Male has dark green shaggy double crest, speckled chestnut breast band, white collar, and grey flanks; red bill. Female has rufous-brown head with ragged crest blending gradually into grey neck …

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About These Birds

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.

Red-breasted Merganser

A medium-sized fish-eating duck (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, males with a ragged double crest, green head, and rufous breast band. Breeds near freshwater and coastal habitats across the Northern Hemisphere; winters in estuaries and coastal seas. Dives in pursuit of fish and invertebrates. Least Concern; one of the fastest flying ducks, reaching 100 km/h.

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