The white-faced whistling duck is a whistling duck that breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa and northern South America
Typical Environment
Found on freshwater lakes, marshes, floodplains, and rice paddies, often where shallow water and emergent vegetation are abundant. It readily uses reservoirs and seasonally flooded savannas and may exploit agricultural wetlands. Roosting occurs on banks, sandbars, or low trees and shrubs near water. Occasional use of brackish wetlands is reported, but it favors fresh, shallow systems. Movements track changing water levels following rains.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
A highly gregarious whistling duck, it forms large flocks and is easily recognized by its clear, carrying whistles. Sexes look alike and often maintain long-term pair bonds. It breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and across parts of tropical South America and Trinidad, shifting locally with rainfall and water levels.
Mated pair of White-Faced ducks
Temperament
social and gregarious
Flight Pattern
direct flight with rapid wingbeats; strong flier
Social Behavior
Often in large, noisy flocks outside the breeding season. Pairs tend to be monogamous and may persist across seasons. Nests are usually placed in dense marsh vegetation or on floating mats, sometimes in loose colonies; both parents attend the eggs and young.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are clear, piercing whistles given in series, carrying over long distances. Contact calls in flight are frequent and rhythmic, helping flocks stay coordinated.
Plumage
Striking white face and throat contrasting with a black crown and hindneck; rich chestnut neck and breast; dark brown to blackish back with finely barred flanks; underparts largely dark. Feathers are smooth and sleek with subtle barring on the sides.
Diet
Feeds mainly on seeds of aquatic grasses, sedges, and crops such as rice, supplemented by aquatic invertebrates including snails and insects. It also takes shoots and other plant material while dabbling or grazing at the water’s edge. Opportunistic foraging responds to seasonal availability, especially in newly flooded areas.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shallow wetlands, flooded fields, and along vegetated shorelines. Frequently feeds while wading or dabbling in shallow water and will graze in nearby damp grasslands.
