White-faced Whistling Duck

Q: What are the chances of seeing a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Whistling Duck sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 178th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: What time of day is best to see a White-faced Whistling Duck?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-faced Whistling Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Durban the best place to see a White-faced Whistling Duck?

39th of 45. Of the 45 cities where we can rate White-faced Whistling Duck sightings, Durban ranks 39th at under 5%. The best odds are in Antananarivo (Madagascar, about 70%), Mombasa (Kenya, about 50%) and Abuja (Nigeria, about 30%).

Q: Which relatives of the White-faced Whistling Duck live in Durban?

Same family: Anatidae. The closest relatives of the White-faced Whistling Duck that you can see in Durban (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Egyptian Goose (about 50%) and Spur-winged Goose (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the White-faced Whistling Duck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the White-faced Whistling Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Durban (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Dendrocygna viduata

Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusDendrocygna (Whistling-Ducks)
SpeciesDendrocygna viduata (White-faced Whistling Duck)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Durban

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

9 Verified sightings at Durban

9,578 In all 53 parks From 2019 to 2026

February Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

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 →

Sounds

Call0:31

Uganda · 2025

Flight call0:07

Gambia · 2025

Alarm call0:04

Brazil · 2024

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 153 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
2	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~40%
3	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~40%
4	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
5	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~40%
6	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~40%
7	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
8	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~30%
9	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~30%
10	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
11	Taï National Park	🇨🇮 Ivory Coast	~30%
12	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
13	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
14	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
15	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
16	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
17	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
18	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~20%
19	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
20	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
21	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
22	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
23	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
24	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
25	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
26	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
27	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
28	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
29	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
30	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
31	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
32	Berenty Reserve	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~10%
33	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~10%
34	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
35	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
36	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
37	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
38	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
39	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
40	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
41	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
42	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
43	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
44	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
45	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
46	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
47	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
48	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
49	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
50	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
51	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
52	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
53	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Antananarivo	🇲🇬 Madagascar	~70%
2	Mombasa	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
3	Abuja	🇳🇬 Nigeria	~30%
4	N'Djamena	🇹🇩 Chad	~20%
5	Zanzibar City	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
6	Serrekunda	🇬🇲 Gambia	~20%
7	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~20%
8	Dakar	🇸🇳 Senegal	~20%
9	Dar es-Salaam	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
10	Santa Cruz de la Sierra	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Busch Gardens Tampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
6	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
7	Shedd Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Leipzig Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
9	Cleveland Metroparks Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Zürich Zoo	🇨🇭 Switzerland	In captivity
11	Antwerp Zoo	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
12	Parque das Aves	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
13	North Carolina Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Zlín-Lešná Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
15	Ostrava Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
16	Dvůr Králové Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
17	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
18	Réserve africaine de Sigean	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
19	Walsrode World Bird Park	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
20	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
21	Abilene Zoological Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Minnesota Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Safari West	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	Watatunga Wildlife Reserve	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
27	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
28	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	SeaWorld San Antonio	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
30	Badoca Safari Park	🇵🇹 Portugal	In captivity
31	Planète Sauvage	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
32	Brookfield Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
33	Parc zoologique de Montpellier	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
34	Curitiba Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
35	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
36	Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
37	Cotswold Wildlife Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
38	Los Angeles Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Oakland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
40	Dallas Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Slimbridge Wetland Centre	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
42	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
43	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
44	Wildlife World Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
45	São Paulo Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
46	Parc animalier de Gramat	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
47	Audubon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Hellabrunn Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
49	Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
50	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Durban

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Plectropterus gambensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Anas undulata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas sparsa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Bostrychia hagedash

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Streptopelia semitorquata

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Pycnonotus barbatus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Onychognathus morio

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Passer domesticus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Colius striatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Lonchura cucullata

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Zosterops virens

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Whistling Duck sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 178th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a White-faced Whistling Duck?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-faced Whistling Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Durban the best place to see a White-faced Whistling Duck?

39th of 45

Of the 45 cities where we can rate White-faced Whistling Duck sightings, Durban ranks 39th at under 5%. The best odds are in Antananarivo (Madagascar, about 70%), Mombasa (Kenya, about 50%) and Abuja (Nigeria, about 30%).

Which relatives of the White-faced Whistling Duck live in Durban?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the White-faced Whistling Duck that you can see in Durban (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Egyptian Goose (about 50%) and Spur-winged Goose (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-faced Whistling Duck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-faced Whistling Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Durban (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Durban

White-faced Whistling Duck

About the White-faced Whistling Duck

Sounds

Recent sightings of White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Durban

Egyptian Goose

Spur-winged Goose

Yellow-billed Duck

African Black Duck

Hadada

Red-eyed Dove

Common Bulbul

Red-winged Starling

House Sparrow

Speckled Mousebird

Bronze Mannikin

Cape White-eye

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban?

When is the best time to see a White-faced Whistling Duck in Durban?

What time of day is best to see a White-faced Whistling Duck?

Is Durban the best place to see a White-faced Whistling Duck?

Which relatives of the White-faced Whistling Duck live in Durban?

Where does the White-faced Whistling Duck sighting chance come from?