Plumed Whistling Duck

Overview

The plumed whistling duck (Dendrocygna eytoni), also known as the grass whistling duck, is a species of bird in the family Anatidae. It is a predominantly brown-coloured, long-necked duck that is resident and breeds across a broad arc of Australia. Populations also exist in New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

Identification

• Measures 42–60 cm and weighs around one kilogram, featuring a long neck and short, dark, rounded wings when in flight.
• Predominantly brown plumage with a white rump and a chestnut chest marked by thin black bars.
• Long black-margined plumes arise from its flanks, and both sexes possess pinkish-red bills and legs with yellow irises.
• Emits a characteristic whistle that gives the species its common name.

Habitat

Resident in Australia, the species ranges from the Kimberley and Top End down to southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, with non-breeding populations in New Guinea, New Zealand, and parts of Indonesia and the Solomon Islands. It prefers tall grassland and savanna habitats, often situated near bodies of water.

Diet

Unlike other ducks that dive for food in water, the plumed whistling duck forages on land by cropping grass.

Did you know?

The generic name Dendrocygna is derived from Ancient Greek terms meaning 'tree' and 'swan', while the specific epithet honours Thomas Campbell Eyton, the English naturalist who described the species in 1838.