This duck is easily recognized by its bright white face, which contrasts sharply with its dark brown and black body. The rest of its plumage is a mix of rich, chestnut brown on the chest and lighter, mottled brown on the back. Its long neck and slender body give it a graceful look, and like other whistling ducks, it has long legs that help it stand tall and upright.
One of the most interesting things about the white-faced whistling duck is its whistling call, which is where it gets its name. This high-pitched whistle is often heard when the ducks are in flight or communicating with each other. They use these calls to stay in contact with their flock or to signal when they are about to take off. Their whistling sound is quite distinctive and can often be heard from a distance, making these ducks easy to locate even when they are hidden among tall grasses or reeds.
White-faced whistling ducks are very social birds. They are usually found in large flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. These flocks can be seen resting together on the edges of lakes, ponds, and wetlands, or foraging for food in shallow waters. They are not shy and are often seen mingling with other waterbirds, creating a lively and bustling scene.
In terms of diet, the white-faced whistling duck is an omnivore. It feeds on a variety of food, including aquatic plants, seeds, and small invertebrates like insects and snails. They are especially fond of rice and other grains, which can sometimes lead them to forage in flooded rice fields. Their feeding behavior is quite typical of dabbling ducks; they tip their bodies forward in the water to reach food below the surface, but they do not dive like some other duck species.
Distribution
Angola
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Barbados
Benin
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Costa Rica
Cuba
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
French Guiana
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guadeloupe
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Montserrat
Mozambique
Namibia
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Official estimate
Rwanda
Réunion
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
St. Kitts & Nevis
Sudan
Suriname
Tanzania
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago
Uganda
Uruguay
Venezuela
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
