Scientific name:
Dendrocygna

Natural spread:
global occurrences

the Pfeifgänse is the elderly and the new world very sociable duck-birds. They were called "tree-ducks" earlier. This name certainly was unfortunately, because the quite slim, high-legged and long-neck-y birds don't embody the Gestalttyp of a duck; just as little, its way of life is quite generally strong tied at trees. As the geese, both sexes carry the same plumage and fold up a permanent pair-relationship.

All Pfeifgänse swim and dive well, its flight from it seems rather slow and heavy.

If we look at the behavior of the "Aufbaumens" nearer, so it is not uniform even with the same type in the most different Faunengebieten to lead back on a protection-need in every case, however.

Types The Witwenpfeifgans or nun-duck (Dendrocygna viduata) or this yellow Pfeifgans (Dendrocygna bicolor) lives at the tropical and subtropical waters of South America and Africa. they are, as predominantly night-actively all Pfeifgänse, and picks up its food also at night. During the break on the day, they are in South America, as protection against the Piranhas dangerous for it to find on trees, while they rest in Africa on the free water-surfaces. The Tüpfelpfeifgans (Dendrocygna guttata); Indonesian islands, New Guinea as far as to the Bismarck-archipelago, seems to visit predominantly land on water-near sleep-trees. Other types retreat into swamp-forests during the day, Z. B. Kubapfeifgans, Dendrocygna arborea or Zwergpfeifgans, Dendrocygna javanica, where they sit on low branches or swim on densely overgrown water-surfaces.

Way of life Outside the incubation, the Pfeifgänse with beginning of the twilight meet to the eating in groups or big swarms. They find the almost exclusively vegetable food in swamp-forests, on vegetation-hands inner-seas and ponds; but also culture and grassland-ships (Z). B. Palm-groves (rice-plantations) are visited gladly. Also on the day, swarms are to sometimes be observed. Always, the flight is guided from a typical loud and light whistle, that sounds quite agreeable for the human ear. It is generated with both sexes with the "kettledrum" in the windpipe. With the Zwergpfeifgans, the 1 is additional. Handschwinge through notch of the inner-flags to a Schallschwinge, that generates a clearly audible whistle when flying, reorganized. So, the acoustic contact with the Artgenossen is held.

The Pfeifgänse partially behave as stand-birds, however, conditional hikes can execute also seasonally. Also precipitations can be causes of smaller hikes. So the beginning of the incubation in the different biotopes of the food-offer is regulated, the associations are dissolved rather fast. With the Herbstpfeifgans (Dendrocygna autumnalis), if sufficient Nistmöglichkeiten exist, also relaxed colony-formations can occur.

Reproduction The nests are built with most types at the ground. But also tree-caves, branch-forks or even abandoned gripping-bird-nests can form a suitable Niststätte. The nests are not padded with Dunen. Males and females involve both at the brood-business, that lasts 27-30 days, and at the Aufzucht of the boys, whose Dunenkleid is excellent with all 8 types through a light rear-head-bandage, for itself.