Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)

Other Names (World)
Wandering Whistling-Duck, Water Whistling-Duck, Diving Whistling-Duck, Water Whistle Duck, Whistling Tree Duck, Wandering Tree Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck

Family
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Size
55 - 61 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Horsfield, 1824)

Derivation
Den-dro-cyg'-na Gk, dendron, tree; Gk, cycnos, and L., cygnus, swan: ar-cu-a-ta - L., arcuatus, curved like a bow

Abundance (Guide)
LA

Common and locally abundant. Migratory and nomadic.

Habitat
Streams, lakes, lagoons of inland areas.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B), Fiji (E), Indonesia, New Caledonia (E) (B), Papua New Guinea (B), Philippines, Timor-Leste (B) (NB).

Image of Range of Wandering Whistling-Duck

Northern and eastern Australia, west to the Kimberley and south to about Rockhampton, Qld.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 200,000 - 2,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
Secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually in dense flocks.

Food
Chiefly grass and other herbage.

Voice
A high, whistled, rather tremulous, 'wit-wit-wit...', slightly slurred. A whistling and twittering is uttered by flocks.

Listen to call of Wandering Whistling-Duck

(37Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (25)...)

Wandering Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) [XC150702]
by Mike Nelson from Tempasuk paddyfields, Kota Belud, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia (call)

Wandering Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) [XC46907]
by Mike Nelson from Pematanggadung, West Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia (?)

Breeding Season (Guide)
December - July, mainly February - April.

Nest
A depression in grass, without a lining, often at quite a distance from water.

Eggs (Guide)
6 - 15, usually 7 or 8; hard, vitrous, cream; oval, pointed at the smaller end; 47 - 53 x 35 - 39 mm. Incubation: 28 - 30 days; by both sexes.

Young
Precocial, nidicolous.

Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor).

The following 3 subspecies are recognised:

arcuata (Horsfield, 1824) - Philippines, southern Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lesser Sundas and Moluccas.
australis Reichenbach, 1850 - Southern New Guinea and northern Australia.
pygmaea Mayr, 1945 - New Britain.

Similar Species
Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) which has longer plumes, pink legs and feet and stands more erect.

Compare Images

References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9

Files:

JPG files for Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) - 10 files

MP3 files for Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) - 1 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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