The Waterfowl Winners Club! 🦆 🪿 🦢

[RightWhale]

Fortunately I don't think there's much an argument against the nene in regards to captive presence, there's almost 120 holdings for them in Europe alone.

Yea the nene isn't comparable to proboscis monkey or saiga at all, not sure why you thought that lol. Very common here in Europe

Yeah I didn’t actually check how common they are in captivity, it mostly stemmed from conversations about bird popularity and how Frontier had (possibly) decided they aren’t as popular as say, the saiga, or Nile lechwe, or the dama gazelle.

I was admittedly salty

Still the nene is an “oddball” bird, especially compared to a mute swan or mandarin duck. My reasoning is just if the saiga/ titan beetle/ proboscis monkey can get into game I don’t see why something like the nene couldn’t.

 

[Thylaco]

Going through Zootierliste, here's the ten most common waterfowl in order (aside from Mute swan, which would be No. 5).

1. Mandarin duck
2. Black swan
3. American Wood Duck
4. Common Mallard
5. Bar-headed goose
6. Barnacle goose
7. Ringed teal
8. Common shelduck
9. White-faced whistling duck
10. Ruddy shelduck

The Nene seems decently common, placing 18th.

Spoiler: List of waterfowl in over 100 zoos

Mandarin duck - 608

Black swan - 542

American Wood Duck - 454

Common Mallard - 360

Mute Swan - 332

Bar-headed goose - 293

Barnacle goose - 267
Ringed teal - 264

Common shelduck - 252
White-faced whistling duck - 251

Ruddy shelduck - 242

Red-crested pochard - 227

Canada goose - 217
Egyptian goose - 213

Red-breasted goose - 199
Northern pintail - 191

Fulvous whistling duck - 170

Tufted duck - 156
Nene - 153
White-cheeked pintail - 151

Greylag goose - 148
Southern Screamer - 147
Ferruginous duck - 145
Cape Barren goose - 140

Chiloe wigeon - 133

Marbled teal - 129
Black-necked swan - 122

Northern shoveler - 113
Rosybill - 112

Eurasian wigeon - 106

Black-bellied whistling duck - 101
Hooded merganser - 101

 

[RightWhale]

Going through Zootierliste, here's the ten most common waterfowl in order (aside from Mute swan, which would be No. 5).

1. Mandarin duck
2. Black swan
3. American Wood Duck
4. Common Mallard
5. Bar-headed goose
6. Barnacle goose
7. Ringed teal
8. Common shelduck
9. White-faced whistling duck
10. Ruddy shelduck

I understand Frontier would never do this, but this is just the waterfowl representation we deserve.

 

[NachoB]

Going through Zootierliste, here's the ten most common waterfowl in order (aside from Mute swan, which would be No. 5).

1. Mandarin duck
2. Black swan
3. American Wood Duck
4. Common Mallard
5. Bar-headed goose
6. Barnacle goose
7. Ringed teal
8. Common shelduck
9. White-faced whistling duck
10. Ruddy shelduck

The Nene seems decently common, placing 18th.

Spoiler: List of waterfowl in over 100 zoos

Mandarin duck - 608

Black swan - 542

American Wood Duck - 454

Common Mallard - 360

Mute Swan - 332

Bar-headed goose - 293

Barnacle goose - 267
Ringed teal - 264

Common shelduck - 252
White-faced whistling duck - 251

Ruddy shelduck - 242

Red-crested pochard - 227

Canada goose - 217
Egyptian goose - 213

Red-breasted goose - 199
Northern pintail - 191

Fulvous whistling duck - 170

Tufted duck - 156
Nene - 153
White-cheeked pintail - 151

Greylag goose - 148
Southern Screamer - 147
Ferruginous duck - 145
Cape Barren goose - 140

Chiloe wigeon - 133

Marbled teal - 129
Black-necked swan - 122

Northern shoveler - 113
Rosybill - 112

Eurasian wigeon - 106

Black-bellied whistling duck - 101
Hooded merganser - 101

Ok if you had to pic just three of those which ones would You choose?

Mine would be mandarín duck, White faced whistling duck and black swan.

 

[RightWhale]

Ok if you had to pic just three of those which ones would You choose?

Mine would be mandarín duck, White faced whistling duck and black swan.

To be honest those would probably be my picks as well. I am tempted to get an American wood duck, but if we get the mandarin I’m not complaining.

 

[Marvinb]

If i could chose three id go with southern screamer, mandarin and nene i think. However you put it 3 waterfowls just cant cover everything, so i would chose 3 that would offer a good base for modders while still being great on their own.
-Southern screamer because it ticks alot of boxes and is pretty different from all other waterfowl.
-Mandarin because its the most common and assumeably also trickiest to mod, getting it should be a perfect base for further duck mods tho
-Nene because its a cool species and great base for other geese, admittedly it could very well be a different species of goose aswell.

 

[NachoB]

If i could chose three id go with southern screamer, mandarin and nene i think. However you put it 3 waterfowls just cant cover everything, so i would chose 3 that would offer a good base for modders while still being great on their own.
-Southern screamer because it ticks alot of boxes and is pretty different from all other waterfowl.
-Mandarin because its the most common and assumeably also trickiest to mod, getting it should be a perfect base for further duck mods tho
-Nene because its a cool species and great base for other geese, admittedly it could very well be a different species of goose aswell.

I keep forgetting about the Southern screamer.

But i was mostly refering to that top ten list

 

[RightWhale]

I’m not giving up yet, with the dictionary some things may seem set in stone. But until I see the official roster I won’t give up hope! Here’s hoping waterfowl gang! May we be graced with another species soon enough!

 

[zoomaster1994]

I’m not giving up yet, with the dictionary some things may seem set in stone. But until I see the official roster I won’t give up hope! Here’s hoping waterfowl gang! May we be graced with another species soon enough!

Pelican hope!

 

[Antimony96]

Ideally--and I know this is pure fantasy--we'd have enough members of Anseriformes that we'd have as much choice in waterfowl selection (both in geography and appearance) as we do for canids or felids or bovids, especially since a real-life zoo having five or six species of ducks is far more common than having five or six species of dogs. A short list to try and get at least one or two for every part of the world:
Multi-continental:
Mallard
Northern pintail
Common merganser
White-faced whistling duck
Northern shoveler
Marbled teal
Harlequin duck

North America:
Wood duck
Ruddy duck
Hooded merganser
Trumpeter swan
Canada goose
Blue-winged teal
Emperor goose
Redhead
Canvasback

Central & South America:
Muscovy duck
Black-bellied whistling duck
Black-necked swan
Southern screamer
Coscoroba swan
Puna teal
Chiloe wigeon

Eurasia:
Mandarin duck
Eurasian teal
Bar-headed goose
Red-breasted goose
Swan goose
Greylag goose
Barnacle goose
Tundra swan
Baer's pochard
Smew

Africa:
Blue-billed teal
South African shelduck
African pygmy goose
Egyptian goose

Oceania/Pacific Islands:
Black swan
Magpie goose
Cape barren goose
Nene
Maned duck

 

[RightWhale]

Ideally--and I know this is pure fantasy--we'd have enough members of Anseriformes that we'd have as much choice in waterfowl selection (both in geography and appearance) as we do for canids or felids or bovids, especially since a real-life zoo having five or six species of ducks is far more common than having five or six species of dogs. A short list to try and get at least one or two for every part of the world:
Multi-continental:
Mallard
Northern pintail
Common merganser
White-faced whistling duck
Northern shoveler

North America:
Wood duck
Ruddy duck
Hooded merganser
Trumpeter swan
Canada goose

Central & South America:
Muscovy duck
Black-bellied whistling duck
Black-necked swan
Southern screamer
Coscoroba swan

Eurasia:
Mandarin duck
Eurasian teal
Bar-headed goose
Red-breasted goose
Swan goose
Greylag goose
Barnacle goose

Africa:
Blue-billed teal
South African shelduck
African pygmy goose
Egyptian goose

Oceania/Pacific Islands:
Black swan
Magpie goose
Cape barren goose
Nene

Heck yeah, honestly the absolute pipe dream. Now let’s say we had as many waterfowl species as cat species in game (I believe we are now at 14!) this would be my personal list:

1. Mute swan (in game already)
2. Black swan
3. Northern shoveler
4. Mallard duck
5. Mandarin duck
6. White faced whistling duck
7. Muscovy duck
8. African Pygmy goose (technically a duck)
9. Spectacled eider
10. Magpie goose
11. Nene
12. Cape Barren goose
13. Canada goose
14. Southern screamer

So in total, I would have 2 swan species, 7 duck species, 4 geese, and the southern screamer.

Obviously I had to leave some cute waterfowl out (ruddy duck, trumpeter swan, Eurasian teal, and Brazilian teal to name a few). But if this was my bare minimum these would be my choices.

 

[NachoB]

I don't need 15 and i'm not much of a fan of geese so here are My top 10-12 waterfowl:

1. Mute swan
2. Black swan
3. Black necked swan
4. Mandarín duck
5. Mallard duck
6. White face whistling duck
7. Nene goose
8. Canadian goose
9. King either
10. Southern screamer

11. Torrent duck
12. Muscovy duck

 

[RightWhale]

If the deer thread will be bumped I would like to bump this one again. If we go off the dictionary duck is still in the running, Pallas cat was a surprise so I’m not gonna lose hope! The mute swan set a precedent so I hope Frontier will grace us again!

 

[DarthQuell]

If the deer thread will be bumped I would like to bump this one again. If we go off the dictionary duck is still in the running, Pallas cat was a surprise so I’m not gonna lose hope! The mute swan set a precedent so I hope Frontier will grace us again!

Weird, question, but what if we got a coot instead of a duck? How would you feel?

 

[RightWhale]

Weird, question, but what if we got a coot instead of a duck? How would you feel?

I’m a desperate man, I’ll take what I can get. Doesn’t have to be a tropical duck, though that’s what I prefer. A coot, screamer, whatever it is I’ll take it!

Coots also have cute little feets! Look at them!

 

[DarthQuell]

I’m a desperate man, I’ll take what I can get. Doesn’t have to be a tropical duck, though that’s what I prefer. A coot, screamer, whatever it is I’ll take it!

Coots also have cute little feets! Look at them!
View attachment 403519

Well, I dunno that many duck species, but I know that coots ae found in mountains. They're also predominantly a New World group (some in Africa and Eurasia), so that would tick some boxes. I'm just mostly thinking out loud but curious as to what the community would think regarding them. They do look different than everything else we've gotten
EDIT: I.e. the American coot is found throughout North America as well as some parts of South America and the Caribbean, year-round. That'd be a big bird, distribution-wise

 

[NachoB]

Weird, question, but what if we got a coot instead of a duck? How would you feel?

No. I mean is such a random pick for a waterfowl when we have the swan and ducks are obvious next move. So yeah i would be very dissapointed.

 

[synthetase]

No. I mean is such a random pick for a waterfowl when we have the swan and ducks are obvious next move. So yeah i would be very dissapointed.

I'd love to see Coot. After we see duck and probably goose!
In addition to the Mute Swan I think nice waterfowl picks could be: Black Swan + Nene + Mallard Duck + White-faced Whistling Duck + any more random waterfowl.

 

[RightWhale]

I wanted to make a post dedicated to the whistling duck species! Namely I wanted to show off my top 4! Today my GF and I are going to look for some, supposedly you can see them on a golf course around here.

1. Obviously y’all know my #1. The white faced whistling duck is just perfect for me. While its range isn’t as extensive as others I think it has the best plumage. Still, its range is nothing to scoff at either! Covering tropical Africa and South America. It’s still definitely my favorite.
2. The fulvous whistling duck is my #2, and that’s entirely due to its range. It goes all the way into Asia. Easily beating out the WFWD. It’s plumage isn’t as cute however, but I do like the blues a lot!
3. For my #3 spot, it goes to the black bellied whistling duck! Besides also having cute plumage, this bird is also common across the Americas. The reason it is #3 is simply because it can’t beat the plumage of the WFWD or the range of the FWD. Despite that, it is still an awesome species, and I would love it in a tropical South America house.
4. Finally for my #4, it is actually a species from Australia! That would be the plumed whistling duck, which has some fancy feathers. For me it was a toss up between the lesser whistling duck, which had a better range in Asia, or this guy. I decided this one, besides the cute feathers, for also being more common in captivity and also provided Australia a duck.

 

[Villanelle]

Today I'm really in the mood for... Goosander

My what a pretty face