White-cheeked duck

"When danger is imminent, the white-cheeked velvet duck remains rigidly still."

Discover in real life
White-cheeked whitethroat duckDendrocygna viduata

  • Habitat

    Freshwater marshes, lakes and rice fields

  • Food

    Plants, seeds, insects and mollusks

  • Lifetime

    10 - 20 years

  • Weight

    550 - 800 grams

  • Height

    71 to 92 cm

  • Number of youngsters

    6 to 12 eggs

  • Incubation time

    26 to 28 days

  • IUCN Status

    Safe

  • EEP

    No

  • 4

    weeks, that's how long it takes for the young to hatch

  • 800

    grams, that's how heavy the white-cheeked velvet duck can get

  • 12

    eggs the female lays a maximum at a time

    • A little privacy

    White-cheeked ducks live in large groups of sometimes more than a thousand ducks together. When they start breeding, they often seek their own place away from the group. A male and female usually stay together as a pair for their entire lives. Together they make a nest and take care of the young.

    Special sound

    White-cheeked ducks search for food mainly at night. They often enter the water and dive headfirst to find food. With their bill, they search for aquatic plants, insects and small shellfish. While searching for food, the ducks keep in touch with each other by whistling. The white-cheeked duck gets its name from this characteristic three-tone whistle as well as from the white front of its head.

    Want to know more about IUCN status or the EEP? Clickhere.