Wandering Whistling-duck vs Cape Shoveler
Dendrocygna arcuata comparé à Spatula smithii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Wandering Whistling-duck | Cape Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Dendrocygna arcuata | Spatula smithii |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) | 45,8 cm (18.0 in) |
| Poids | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) | 629,75 g (22.21 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Eats seeds, plant matter, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more invertebrate-rich in … |
| Taille de la couvée | 6-15 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Cape Shoveler
Freshwater and saline lakes, estuaries, and wetlands across southern Africa from Zimbabwe south to the Cape. Most common on the Western Cape. Tolerates saline habitats better than most ducks.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Cape Shoveler
Male utters a low, grunting tok note; female produces a series of soft quacks. Pairs vocalize quietly at Cape wetlands; female's quacking call is louder and more emphatic than male's.
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.
Cape Shoveler
Breeds in sub-Arctic wetlands of Eurasia; winters on lakes and reservoirs from western Europe to eastern China and Japan.
Statut de conservation
Wandering Whistling-duck
Cape Shoveler
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Cape Shoveler
Dull olive-brown body mottled dark; males slightly paler with yellow-orange eye. Pale blue-gray forewing and green speculum in flight. Long spatulate bill dark. Orange-yellow legs. Sexes similar. South African endemic.
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.
Cape Shoveler
A medium-sized shoveler with a characteristic large spatula-shaped bill. Males have yellow-orange eyes, brown head, and spotted brownish body; females are mottled brown. Endemic to southern Africa. Found mainly on the Western Cape's lakes and saline pans.