One of the 10 ducks on WAnimals
Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae
White-winged Duck
Asarcornis scutulata
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
One of the largest living ducks, outweighed only by the steamer ducks. Its most striking feature is the contrast between the dark body and the whitish head and neck. The male has a dull yellowish bill, black speckling on the head and neck, white median coverts and bluish tones in the wing.
Weight
2 kg – 3.9 kg
Size
66 cm – 81 cm
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Estimated population
Around 1,000 individuals
Fun facts
- 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.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & 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
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round in the forest wetlands of South-East Asia
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 11 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with White-winged Duck — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Bar-Headed Goose
Anser indicus
Sumatran Tiger
Panthera tigris sumatrae
Knob-billed Duck
Sarkidiornis melanotos
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
Sumatran Orangutan
Pongo abelii
How to help
The white-winged duck is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 5 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about white-winged duck.
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