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Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) Alternate name(s): "Diving Whistling-Duck", "Tree-duck", "Water Whistling-Duck", "Whistling Tree Duck", "Whistling Duck*", "Wandering Tree Duck" Aboriginal name(s): "chipala*" Size: 55-60 cm Body mass: 0.75-1.0 kg

Australia: Family Group 2 Family Group 2 Table Magpie Goose Cape Barren Goose Black Swan Plumed Whistling-Duck Wandering Whistling-Duck Spotted 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 Macaroni Penguin Rockhopper Penguin Little Penguin Magellanic 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 are medium-sized ducks with mostly mid- to dark-brown plumage, with plumes sticking out over the folded wings. Throat and plumes are cream-coloured, while the breast is brown, the belly is russet, the mantle, nape of the neck and cap are all dark-brown. The bill, legs and feet are black. Twitcher's tip Overall, the appearance of Wandering Whistling-Ducks is dark-brown, whereas the similar Plumed Whistling-Duck is noticeably lighter in colour.

Taxonomy, classification See Wandering 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 Wandering Whistling-Duck is available HERE . Wandering Whistling-Ducks are found in parts of far-eastern Asia (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea) and in northern and eastern Australia. In Australia Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", are usually found only in the northern parts of the continent, from about the Kimberley via the Top End of the NT, South of the Gulf of Carpentaria, all of Cape York peninsula and the eastern half of QLD. Less frequently they are found down the eastern seaboard and also sometimes in inland NSW and QLD, down to VIC. Wandering Whistling-Ducks like vegetated river banks and swamps and vegetated shores of lagoons, as well as flooded grassland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "australis" M. Mearns reports spotting a mixed flock of Wandering Whistling-Ducks and Plumed Whistling-Ducks in the floodplain of the Mary River, NT, in August 2008. B. Hensen reports spotting Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", at Fogg Dam CR, NT, in August 2013 and in August 2017. We also spotted them there, in August 2014. P. Brown reports finding them at the same location in August 2018. J. Greaves and H. Mouritsen report spotting flocks of Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", in various locations of the Top End of the NT, e.g. at Yellow Water billabong, Kakadu NP, NT. Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", were first spotted by us in the township of Narrabri, NSW, at Narrabri Lake, in September 2010. Four birds were seen again at the same location in October 2010, making it likely that a small group was staying there for a while. 3 birds were found at the same location in the time frame August/September 2024. C. Hayne reports that large numbers of Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", can be seen regularly in the Gwydir Wetlands, some 50 km West of Moree, NSW. In January 2016, J. Greaves spotted a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", at the Kununurra, WA, sewage treatment works. Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", are found regularly by contributors in wetlands of south-eastern QLD, both on the coastal side of the Great Dividing Range and also further inland. In June 2025, M. Eaton found Wandering Whistling-Ducks, race "australis", at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, QLD. C. Pears reports finding a Wandering Whistling-Duck, race "australis", at Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, in November/December 2025.

Photos

Race "australis"

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, August 2022]

Frontal view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, August 2022]

Near-frontal view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of a pair of Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2015]

Lateral view of two Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Lateral/near-dorsal view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2013]

Lateral/near-dorsal view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, August 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Near-frontal view of an adult Wandering Whistling-Duck looking sideways
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2025]

Close-up lateral view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2025]

Close-up lateral view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Lateral/near-dorsal view of 3 Wandering Whistling-Ducks
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Dorsal view of 3 Wandering Whistling-Ducks looking sideways, one of which resting, together with Magpie Geese
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2024]

Dorsal view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2010]

Small group of Wandering Whistling-Ducks (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2018]

"Nope, not one of ours..." (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, November 2018]

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

Close-up lateral/near-dorsal view of 3 Wandering Whistling-Ducks, together with 2 Magpie Geese
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2024]

Comparison of a Wandering Whistling-Duck, left, with an Australasian Darter and an Australian Shelduck
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Comparison of a Wandering Whistling-Duck with a male Hardhead (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, November 2018]

Comparison between Pacific Black Ducks, right, and a Wandering Whistling-Duck, left (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Comparison of a Wandering Whistling-Duck with a male Green Pygmy-Goose in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam NR, NT, October 2018]

Frontal view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck banking to land (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CA, NT, August 2017]

Lateral view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck at take-off (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2015]

Lateral view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CA, NT, August 2017]

Lateral view of Whistling-Ducks touching down
[Gordonbrook Dam, near Kingaroy, QLD, June 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Wandering Whistling-Duck in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CA, NT, August 2017]

Dorsal view of a Wandering Whistling-Ducks in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CA, NT, August 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks with a clutch of 12 ducklings
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, February 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Nomadic

Elementary unit: Pair/Small flock

Wandering Whistling-Ducks are usually seen by us in smaller units than Plumed Whistling-Ducks.

Food, Diet

Like all other geese, ducks and swans, Wandering Whistling-Ducks are vegetarian. They feed on underwater plants.

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.

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