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The Lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica) is a bird found in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Ponds, swamps and rice fields across South and Southeast Asia. It eats leaves and other plant parts and seeds and nuts. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

🏡 Where the Lesser whistling duck lives

Ponds, swamps and rice fields across South and Southeast Asia.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🌿 Leaves & plants80%
• 🌰 Seeds & nuts20%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the Lesser whistling duck

Recorded by Andrew Spencer (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC190973. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Lesser whistling duck

Where does the Lesser whistling duck live?

The Lesser whistling duck lives in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Ponds, swamps and rice fields across South and Southeast Asia.

What does the Lesser whistling duck eat?

leaves and other plant parts (about 80%), seeds and nuts (about 20%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Lesser whistling duck endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from Asia

• Indian Peafowl
• Red-crowned Crane
• Mandarin Duck
• Great Hornbill
• Common myna
• Laughing dove

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.