Overview
Dendrocygninae is a of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae. In other taxonomical approaches, they are either considered a separate family Dendrocygnidae, or a tribe Dendrocygnini in the goose subfamily Anserinae (e.g. Terres & NAS, 1991).
It contains only one genus, Dendrocygna, containing eight living species, and one known from hitherto undescribed subfossils from Aitutaki, Cook Islands (Steadman, 2006). These species are the whistling ducks and they have a worldwide distribution through the tropics and subtropics. These ducks have, as their name implies, distinctive whistling calls.
The whistling ducks have long legs and necks, and are very gregarious, flying to and from night-time roosts in large flocks. Both sexes have the same plumage, and all have a hunched appearance and black underwings in flight.
Species
- Black-billed Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna arborea
- Wandering Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna arcuata
- Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis
- Fulvous Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna bicolor
- Plumed Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna eytoni
- Spotted Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna guttata
- Lesser Whistling Duck, or Indian Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna javanica
- White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata
Gallery
Photos
Taxonomy
The Family Dendrocygnidae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Genus (2): Dendrocygna · Thalassornis
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 11 species and subspecies in the Family Dendrocygnidae.
Genera
Dendrocygna
Dendrocygninae is a of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae. In other taxonomical approaches, they are either considered a separate family Dendrocygnidae, or a tribe Dendrocygnini in the goose subfamily Anserinae (e.g. Terres & NAS, 1991). [more]
Thalassornis
The White-backed Duck (Thalassornis leuconotus) is a of the family Anatidae. It is distinct from all other ducks, but most closely related to the whistling ducks in the subfamily Dendrocygninae, though also showing some similarities to the stiff-tailed ducks in the subfamily Oxyurinae. It is the only member of the genus Thalassornis. [more]
At least 5 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Thalassornis.
More info about the Genus Thalassornis may be found here.
References
- Steadman, David William (2006): Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Islands Birds. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-77142-3.
Sources
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