Dendrocygna arcuata
Whistling-Duck is a large duck with rich red-brown plumage overall, with a paler face, front of neck and upper breast. There is a dark stripe on the crown of head, nape and back of neck. The bill and legs are dark. There are elongated flank plumes, which are off-white with chestnut edges. In flight, the dark underwings, cinnamon and chestnut underbody, white undertail and trailing dark legs are seen. This species is also known as the Whistling Tree-Duck, Water Whistling-Duck and the Red Whistler.
Not Threatened.
Whistling-Duck is a large duck with rich red-brown plumage overall, with a paler face, front of neck and upper breast. There is a dark stripe on the crown of head, nape and back of neck. The bill and legs are dark. There are elongated flank plumes, which are off-white with chestnut edges. In flight, the dark underwings, cinnamon and chestnut underbody, white undertail and trailing dark legs are seen. This species is also known as the Whistling Tree-Duck, Water Whistling-Duck and the Red Whistler.
55-60 cm, 735 g
Taxonomy:
- Anas arcuata Horsfield, 1824, Java. Forms a superspecies with D. bicolor, with which it shows many similarities in morphology and behaviour, and hybridization has occurred. Three subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- *arcuata (Horsfield, 1824) - Philippines, S Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lesser Sundas and Moluccas. *australis Reichenbach, 1850 - N Australia and S New Guinea. *pygmaea Mayr, 1945 - New Britain.
The Wandering Whistling-Duck prefers deep vegetated lagoons and swamps, flooded grasslands, sewerage farms, grain stubbles, pastures, irrigated lands and ricefields. It prefers deeper waters where aquatic plants and insects are plentiful.
The Wandering Whistling-Duck feeds almost entirely on aquatic vegetation and seeds, but also on young grass, the bulbs of rushes and other herbage, insects and other small aquatic animals. Wandering Whistling-Ducks forage in tight flocks, with the birds in front diving, and those behind flying over them
The Wandering Whistling-Duck breeds in the northern Wet Season. The nest is a scrape in the ground out of reach of rising floodwaters, and is hidden in tall grass or shrubbery and lined with grass. Wandering Whistling Ducks are monogamous, and pair-bonds are most likely life-long. Not much is known about the incubation of the eggs and brooding of the young.