The lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica) belongs to the family Anatidae. The lesser whistling ducks are distributed in the Indian Subcontinent and southeast Asia. They occur in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these duck species and had listed them as of 'Least Concern'.
These whistling ducks are small ducks, measuring 35 to 45 cm in length and weighing 450 to 600 grams. They are chestnut brown in color. They have chestnut upper tail-coverts and inconspicuous yellow eye ring. They produce a whistling sound in flight.
They inhabit freshwater wetlands, lakes, ponds, flooded fields and marshes, with good vegetation cover. They often rest during the day on the banks. These ducks are nocturnal feeders. They feed on grass, small fish, frogs, insects, molluscs, worms and grains, especially paddy.
They breed during the monsoon and rainy season. The clutch varies from 7 to 12 eggs. The parent birds take turn to incubate the eggs.
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| Indian birds - Lesser whistling duck - Dendrocygna javanica |
| Biological classification of Dendrocygna javanica | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Dendrocygninae |
| Genus: | Dendrocygna |
| Species: | D. javanica |
| Binomial name: | Dendrocygna javanica |
| Distribution: | Southeast Asia and Indian subcontinent |
| Feeding habits: | grains, small fish, molluscs, crustaceans, |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dendrocygna_javanica_-_Chiang_Mai.jpg
Author: JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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