White-Winged Duck

17.02.2025

White-Winged Duck

Why in the news?                        

           A pair of rare endangered white-winged ducks (Deo Hanh), which is the state bird of Assam, was spotted in Dihing Patkai National Park by conservationists and forest officials recently.

About White-Winged Duck:

• The White-Winged Duck, also known as the White-Winged Wood Duck, is a large, rare, and endangered species of duck found in freshwater wetlands and dense tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia.
• Scientific Name: Asarcornis scutulata
• In Assamese, it is known as ‘Deo Hans’ or spirit duck because of its ghostly call.
• It is considered one of the most threatened waterfowl species in the world.

Distribution of the White-Winged Duck :

• Prefers dense tropical and subtropical forests with slow-moving rivers, swamps and wetlands.
• Found in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia (Sumatra), and Malaysia.
• In India, it is mostly found in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and the wetlands of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Features of the duck:

• It has a black body, a white head that is thickly spotted with black, conspicuous white patches on the wings, and red or orange eyes.
• Its average length is about 81 cm.
• The sexes are more or less alike, the male having more gloss on the plumage, and being much larger and heavier.
• It is a crepuscular bird, as it is most active at dusk and dawn.The adults are largely omnivorous.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

                                                           Source: The Times of India

Consider the following statements regarding White-Winged Duck, recently seen in the news:

Statement-I: It is endemic to Western Ghats.

Statement-II: It is classified as ‘critically endangered’ under the IUCN Red List.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer D