White-winged Duck

• It is the state bird of Assam, in India.
• Its resemblance to the Muscovy duck turned out to be misleading: analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome b and of NADH dehydrogenase DNA showed that they are not close relatives, and it now occupies a genus of its own, Asarcornis.
• Its closest relatives are in fact the diving ducks of the genera Netta and Aythya, while Cairina turned out to sit close to Aix, on a quite different branch of the family tree.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat and environment

Wetlands and pools within tropical rainforest in South-East Asia. Formerly more widespread, including Java; today only relict populations remain in Bangladesh, Sumatra, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bhutan and India

Birth weight

Precocial: born covered in down and leaves the nest within a few hours

Size at birth

Precocial: born covered in down and leaves the nest within a few hours

Sexual maturity

2 years

Gestation / incubation

33-35 days of incubation

Litter / clutch size

6-13 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List (BirdLife International 2024); BirdLife DataZone; Birds of the World (Carboneras y Kirwan 2020); CITES Apéndice I; Müller 1842; Salvadori 1895

Best time: All year round in the forest wetlands of South-East Asia

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.