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Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) Alternate name(s): "Plumed Tree-duck", "Gras Whistle Duck", "Eyton's Tree-duck" Aboriginal name(s): "chipala*", "nowee" Size: 40-60 cm Weight: 1 kg (average)

Australia: Family Group 2 Family Group 2 Table Magpie Goose Cape Barren Goose Black Swan Plumed Whistling-Duck Wandering Whistling-Duck Blue-billed Duck Musk Duck Hardhead Australian Wood Duck Pink-eared Duck Grey Teal Chestnut Teal Garganey Australian Shelduck Radjah Shelduck Freckled Duck Pacific Black Duck Green Pygmy-Goose Cotton Pygmy-Goose Australasian Shoveler Australasian Grebe Hoary-headed Grebe Great Crested Grebe Emperor Penguin King Penguin Adelie Penguin Chinstrap Penguin Gentoo Penguin Royal Penguin Rockhopper Penguin Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Plumed Whistling-Ducks have cream-coloured to brown plumage, with prominent plumes sticking out over the folded wings. Head, neck and plumes are cream-coloured, the bill is only slightly darker. The breast is brown, the mantle grey-brown, while the belly is almost white. The eyes have brown irises, the legs and feet are yellow. Twitcher's tip Overall, the appearance of Plumed Whistling-Ducks is light-brown, whereas the similar Wandering Whistling-Duck is noticeably darker.

Taxonomy, classification See Plumed Whistling-Duck at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Plumed Whistling-Duck is available HERE . Plumed Whistling-Ducks are found only in Australia and in southern, near-coastal Papua New Guinea. There is an introduced population on the North Island of New Zealand. In Australia Plumed Whistling-Ducks populate the entire northern coastline of the continent and the northern inland, down to about a line from Exmouth, WA, via Tennant Creek, NT, into QLD. Down the eastern seaboard they are found all along Cape York, the eastern half of QLD (occasionally also in the western part) and the eastern parts of NSW and VIC (with the exception of a narrow coastal fringe from about Sydney, NSW, to Melbourne, VIC). Plumed Whistling-Ducks are often found in wetlands, including ephemeral wetlands, in relatively open country such as open grassland. They are also often found around irrigation dams and smaller farm dams. Twitcher's tip Plumed Whistling-Ducks are highly nomadic. One day there may be a flock of 200 somewhere, the next day they are all gone. When water is scarce, they may stick around for lack of anywhere else to go.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We first spotted Plumed Whistling-Ducks in January 2009, when a flock of about 50 birds was spotted by us on a farm dam about 20 km North of Narrabri, NSW. The summer of 2011/12 saw many Plumed Whistling-Ducks in inland NSW. We spotted a flock of about 200 birds at Kenebri, NSW, in December 2011. More birds were seen in the same timeframe in the township of Narrabri and at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri. Seen in July 2009 on a pond in an urban park in south Rockhampton, QLD, where they were staying in their hundreds. C. Hayne reports seeing huge flocks of several hundred birds in wetlands, including Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, on various occasions. In 2014 a flock of 200 stayed in the township for an extended period of time. In December 2014 a flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks was spotted on a small dam at the Burren Junction Bore Bath. J. Greaves and H. Mouritsen report spotting flocks of hundreds of Plumed Whistling-Ducks in various parts of the Top End of the NT, e.g. at Yellow Water billabong, Kakadu NP, NT. J. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Plumed Whistling Ducks in a suburban park with wetland on the Gold Coast, QLD, in May 2015. M. Mearns reports spotting a mixed flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks and Wandering Whistling-Ducks in the floodplain of the Mary River, NT, in August 2008.

Photos

ADULT

Pair of Plumed Whistling-Ducks on a farm dam; probably the male is leading the female
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2011]

Plumed Whistling-Ducks seen on a pond
[Rockhampton, QLD, July 2009]

Plumed Whistling-Ducks seen on a pond
[Rockhampton, QLD, July 2009]

"Oi, mate, you're not one of us!" (Royal Spoonbill)
[Rockhampton, QLD, July 2009]

Overview of about half of all Plumed Whistling-Ducks seen on one pond
[Rockhampton, QLD, July 2009]

Nine of about 50 Plumed Whistling-Ducks spotted by us at a farm dam
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2009]

Plumed Whistling-Ducks on the banks of a farm dam
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2009]

In this photo the evening light illuminates the plumes very conspicuously
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2009]

Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks on water
[Near Kenebri, NSW, April 2011]

Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks on water (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Moree, NSW, April 2014]

Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks on the ground (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Mixed flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks and Wandering Whistling-Ducks in a tropical floodplain, avoiding a saltwater crocodile (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Mary River, NT, August 2008]

Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks taking to the air (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks in flight (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Moree, NSW, April 2014]

Plumed Whistling-Ducks in flight; here one can see clearly that the plumes grow on the body and are not part of the wings
[Kenebri, NSW, February 2009]

Flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks in flight
[Burren Junction, NSW, December 2014]

Close-up near-frontal view of Plumed Whistling-Ducks in captivity (photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Plumed Whistling-Duck in captivity

Plumed Whistling-Ducks in captivity preening (photo courtesy of J. Thurmer)

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Family of Plumed Whistling-Ducks; note how similar the (smaller) young ones are to the leading adult (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Nomadic

Elementary unit: Large flock

Food, Diet

Like all other geese, ducks and swans, Plumed Whistling-Ducks are mostly vegetarian. They feed on plants on land.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

plwduck_20151222.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
plwduck_20141206_3.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (Flock in flight)	© MD

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