West Indian Whistling-duck vs Black-headed Duck

Dendrocygna arborea в сравнении с Heteronetta atricapilla

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Характеристика West Indian Whistling-duck Black-headed Duck
Научное название Dendrocygna arborea Heteronetta atricapilla
Отряд Anseriformes Anseriformes
Семейство Anatidae Anatidae
Охранный статус Near Threatened Least Concern
Длина
Размах крыльев 51,3 cm (20.2 in) 34,7 cm (13.7 in)
Масса 1030,0 g (36.33 oz) 528,5 g (18.64 oz)
Питание Eats grasses, sedges, and grains; migratory goose foraging in Arctic tundra in summer; overwinters on … Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet …
Размер кладки 4-16 2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Общие среды обитания

West Indian Whistling-duck only

Black-headed Duck only

West Indian Whistling-duck

Freshwater lakes, mangrove swamps, palm savannas, and forested wetlands in the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Nests in palm crowns and hollow trees. Highly dependent on Caribbean wet forests and freshwater lagoons.

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Song & Call Comparison

West Indian Whistling-duck

Пение

A loud, 3-syllable whistle 'whee-whee-whee'. The NT conservation status reflects population pressures. Less commonly heard than its more abundant whistling-duck relatives.

Black-headed Duck

Пение

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

West Indian Whistling-duck

Found in grassy wetlands and floodplains of Madagascar. Non-migratory and endemic to the island's eastern marshes.

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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Охранный статус

Near Threatened

West Indian Whistling-duck

Least Concern

Black-headed Duck

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How to Tell Them Apart

West Indian Whistling-duck

Оперение

Dark brown upperparts; head and neck dark with pale sides. Flanks black with bold white spots. Breast dark brown; belly blackish with white flank streaks. Long dark legs. Largest Dendrocygna. …

Black-headed Duck

Оперение

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

West Indian Whistling-duck

A large dark whistling-duck with brown and black plumage, a pale face, and chestnut underparts with dark streaks. Endemic to the Caribbean. The largest native duck in the West Indies; listed as Vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss. Roosts communally in palms and forest trees.

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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