The Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, also known as Indian Whistling Duck, is a small whistling duck which breeds in South Asia and southeast Asia. It may also be called the Lesser Whistling Teal (based on an older classification), or the Tree Duck.
Distribution
Resting in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
This is a largely resident species distributed unevenly from the Pakistan lower river valleys eastwards across most of peninsular India, Nepal terai, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, south China, to Vietnam. It is largely resident, apart from local movements (often induced by drought or floods), but Chinese birds winter further south.
Covering between 1 to 10 million kmē, it is estimated to have a global population of between two and twenty million individuals.
Habitat: still freshwater lakes, with plentiful vegetation, where this duck feeds on seeds and other vegetation. Occasionally seeks refuge in the ocean just outside the surf area.
May be seen often perching on trees near water bodies, giving rise to the alternate name Tree Duck.
Description
The Lesser Whistling Duck (taken in South-east England)
Landing together in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
This species has a long grey bill, long head and longish legs. It has a buff head, neck and underparts, and a darker crown. The back and wings are darkish grey, and there are chestnut patches on the wings and tail. All plumages are similar.
This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, such as Carambolin Lake in India, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight.
The call is a wheezy, whistling "seasick, seasick", call, uttered in flight. Roosts can be quite noisy.
Nesting
It nests in tree holes, old nests of other birds, or on a stick platform near the ground, and lays 6-12 eggs.
