Grass Whistle Duck

Description:

Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) has an upright stance. Marked by long, upswept buff coloured plumes edged in black rising from the flanks. Legs and feet are pink, head and neck brown, bill is pink sometimes heavily mottled black on the upper surface, throat paler. Back feathers are dark brown edged buff, chest is pale brown very finely barred. Coverts are rufous edged black ahead of prominent buff plumes. Grows 40 to 60 centimeters. Females slightly smaller, marked as for males.

Habitat:

Inhabits grasslands near water, not far from swamps, lakes, floodplains or dams; occasionally in estuarine areas. Grazes mostly at night on short vegetation of plains and margins of wetlands; rests in large groups on the ground near water for most of the day. Roosting flocks give an almost continuous chittering noise interspersed with high whistles. Alarmed flocks also whistle. Soft whistle used between nesting pairs. In flight, wind across the wings causes a different whistle.

Notes:

A common bird which migrates to regions of optimum conditions.