|
|
|
Spotted Whistling-Duck
(Dendrocygna guttata)
Size: 43-50 cm
Weight: ca. 800 g
|
|
 |
Similar
species |
|
|
 |
Physical description |
|
 Click here for a physical description
Spotted Whistling-Ducks are medium-sized ducks with a dark
greyish-brown cap, back and longitudinal stripe down the
back of head and neck. The sides of the head and the long
neck are mostly grey, with a chestnut base of the neck
spotted off-white. The belly is buff to creamy, while
the sides have have plumes with a prominent white spot
pattern.
The irises are dark. The bill is dark-grey, with a horn-coloured
lower mandible. Legs and feet are grey.
Immature and juvenile Spotted Whistling-Ducks have duller colours
than adults
and stripes on the sides, rather than spots.
|
 |
Taxonomy, classification |
|
See Spotted
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, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Spotted Whistling-Duck is available
HERE
.
Spotted Whistling-Ducks are a tropical duck species with a
limited range, extending from the southern Philippines via
Sulawesi, Indonesia, to the Bismark archipelago, New Guinea
and northern Australia.
Spotted Whistling-Ducks have only recently colonized northern
Australia. They are now established on Cape York peninsula, as
far down the Australian East coast as Cairns, QLD.
There are also reports of Spotted Whistling-Ducks from
Melville Island and Darwin, NT, and surroundings.
Spotted Whistling-Ducks have a preference for well-vegetated
wetlands, such as (near-)coastal
lagoons or
sewage treatment
plants.
|
 |
Sightings |
|
Click here for sighting information
R. Russell reports spotting Spotted Whistling-Ducks in a
wetland along Barratt Creek, near Daintree, QLD, in September 2011.
All photographic and sighting information presented
on this page has kindly been contributed by R. Russell.
|
 |
Photos |
|
 |
ADULT |
|
Small group of Spotted Whistling-Ducks on a partly submerged
branch in a tropical wetland
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Barratt Creek, near Daintree, QLD, September 2011]
Spotted Whistling-Ducks spend much of the day "loafing" on trees
near the edge of water, feeding mostly at night.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
