Spotted Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna guttata

Ducks, Swans, and Geese · Anseriformes · Rare

The Spotted Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna guttata) is a rare ducks, swans, and geese found in 3 countries, weighing about 800 g. The spotted whistling duck is a member of the duck family Anatidae.

Least ConcernRareEats invertebrateswetlandcavity nest800 g

About the Spotted Whistling Duck

The spotted whistling duck is a member of the duck family Anatidae. It is also referred to as the "spotted tree duck". This duck can be found in Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and the Philippines. Spotted ducks are also held in captive populations.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The Spotted whistling duck is one of the smaller species in the genus Dendrocygna. This duck grows to 43–50 cm tall. Males can weigh anywhere from 590g to 650g while females weigh 610g to 860g. White spots on their flanks and breasts gave these ducks the spotted name. The sides of the neck, faces, and eyebrows are all grey. Black or dark brown coloring stretches from the crown nape to the hindneck. This dark coloring is also found in the eyepatch. Their coloring resembles a cape with a thick collar. This cape starts as a light brown then fades into a darker brown closer to the tail.

Where it lives

When to see it

Best months: January, February, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Spotted Whistling Duck?
The Spotted whistling duck is one of the smaller species in the genus Dendrocygna. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Spotted Whistling Duck?
The Spotted Whistling Duck is a large sized bird weighing about 800 g.
Where can you see a Spotted Whistling Duck?
The Spotted Whistling Duck occurs in 3 countries, including Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
What birds look similar to a Spotted Whistling Duck?
The Spotted Whistling Duck is most easily confused with the West Indian Whistling Duck, the Wandering Whistling Duck and the Plumed Whistling Duck.
Is the Spotted Whistling Duck endangered?
The Spotted Whistling Duck is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Spotted Whistling Duck for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.