LESSER WHISTLING TEAL 



DENDROCYGNA JAVANICA (Horsfield) 

 (Plate 13, downy young; Plate 12, adult) 



Synonymy 

 Anas javanica Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. 13, p. 199, 1821. 

 Dendrocygna arcuata Swainson {nee Cuvier), Classif. Birds, vol. 2, p. 365, 1837. 

 Dendrocygna javanica Reichenbach, Syn. Avium, Natatores, pi. 89, fig. 171-172, 1845. 

 Dendrocycna javanica Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia e Molucche, pt. 3, p. 388, 1882. 



Vernacular Names 



English: Indian: 



Whistling Teal Silli,Silhahi,orChihee — (Hindu- 

 Javanese Whistling Teal stani) 



Indian Whistling Teal Saral, Shareil or Harrali-hans — 



Lesser Whistling Teal (Bengalese) 



Common Whistling Teal Ade, Adla — (Mahrahti) 



Small Whistler Horali — (Assam) 



Italian: Tingi— (Manipur) 



Anatra arborea Yerrundi - (Malay) 



Japanese: 



Riukiu-gamo 



Chemba Tara — (Ceylon) 

 Sisali — (Burmese) 



Java: 



Meliwies 



DESCRIPTION 



Male: Forehead, crown and occiput sooty brown, more reddish on forehead. Remainder of head and 

 neck pale fulvous gray, almost white on chin and throat. Mantle and scapulars rich brown, the ends 

 of the feathers being edged with rufous. Lower parts bright chestnut, but much lighter on the breast, 

 and the under tail-coverts nearly white. Lesser and median wing-coverts rich mahogany red; greater 

 coverts dark slate, primaries black. Back and rump dark slate-color, upper tail-coverts brown, tail 

 blackish. Flank feathers fulvous brown with light fulvous streaks along the middle. 



Bill plumbeous to pale blue at the base, shading to black at the tip (Hume and Marshall, 1879). 

 There is apparently some variation in the shade of the bill. The irides are deep brown, the legs 

 and feet dark, at times pale plumbeous blue, often dusky in patches. 



Wing 190 mm.; culmen 39; tarsus 46. 



Weight 1 pound to 1 pound 6 ounces (0.45 to 0.62 kilograms), the latter weight unusual (Baker, 

 1908). 



Female: Similar. 



