White-faced Whistling Duck
White-faced Whistling DuckWhite-faced Whistling DuckWhite-faced Whistling DuckWhite-faced Whistling Duck

White-faced Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna viduata

Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Murchison Falls National Park
393 Verified sightings at Murchison Falls National Park From 2019 to 2026
11,068 Verified sightings across all 73 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the White-faced Whistling Duck

The white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) is a whistling duck that breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America. This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear three-note whistling call.

The white-faced whistling duck was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 1766 twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae, under the binomial name Anas viduata. He specified the type locality as Cartagena in Colombia. The white-faced whistling duck is now one of eight species placed in the genus Dendrocygna that was introduced in 1837 by the English naturalist William Swainson. The species is considered as monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek dendron, meaning "tree", with the genus name Cygnus, meaning "swan" in Latin. The specific epithet viduata is Latin and means "widowed" or "in mourning".

The white-faced whistling duck has a long grey bill, a long head, and longish legs. It has a black neck and head, and a distinctive white face that... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Murchison Falls National Park

Fulvous Whistling-Duck
LC

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendrocygna bicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Spur-winged Goose
LC

Spur-winged Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plectropterus gambensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Comb Duck
LC

Comb Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Pygmy-Goose
LC

African Pygmy-Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nettapus auritus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-backed Duck
LC

White-backed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalassornis leuconotus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Yellow-billed Duck
LC

Yellow-billed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas undulata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
2 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
3 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~40%
4 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~40%
5 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~40%
6 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
7 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~30%
8 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
9 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~30%
10 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
11 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
12 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
13 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
14 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
15 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
16 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~20%
17 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~20%
18 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
19 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
20 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
21 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
22 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
23 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
24 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
25 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
26 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
27 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
28 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
29 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
30 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
31 Berenty Reserve 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~10%
32 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~10%
33 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
34 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
35 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
36 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
37 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
38 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
39 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
40 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
41 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
42 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
43 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
44 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
45 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
46 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
47 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
48 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
49 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
50 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
51 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
52 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
53 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
54 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
55 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
56 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
57 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
58 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
59 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
60 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
61 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
62 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
63 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
64 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
65 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
66 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
67 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
68 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
69 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
70 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
71 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
72 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
73 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a White-faced Whistling Duck in Murchison Falls National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Whistling Duck sighting in Murchison Falls National Park, based on 393 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see White-faced Whistling Duck in Murchison Falls National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for White-faced Whistling Duck in Murchison Falls National Park in our monthly data.

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