Bird Guide

Indian Spot-billed Duck vs Mottled Duck

Indian Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)

Indian Spot-billed Duck

Anas poecilorhyncha

Large1000 gWetland

This duck is around the same size as a mallard and has a scaly patterned body with a green speculum bordered by white. At rest the white stripe stands out and the long neck and the bill with yellow tip and orange red spots at the base are distinctive in the nominate subspecies. In flight it is distinguished by the green speculum with a broad white band at the base. The red spots at the base of the bills are absent in haringtoni. It measures 55–63 cm (22–25 in) in length and 83–95 cm (33–37 in) across the wings, with a body mass of 790–1,500 g (1.74–3.31 lb).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Sharad Apte · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Dominic Best · CC0
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)

Mottled Duck

Anas fulvigula

Large843 gWetland

The adult mottled duck is 44 to 61 cm (17–24 in) long from head to tail. It has a dark body, lighter head and neck, orange legs and dark eyes. Both sexes have a shiny green-blue speculum (wing patch), which is not bordered with white as with the mallard. Males and females are similar, but the male's bill is bright yellow, whereas the female's is deep to pale orange, occasionally lined with black splotches around the edges and near the base. The plumage is darker than in female mallards, especially at the tail, and the bill is yellower.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by Andy Wilson · cc0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Indian Spot-billed Duck and Mottled Duck.