duck, Dendrocygna guttata, was first reported in 1866. Like all other birds, it is an animal in the phylum Chordata and the class Aves. The spotted whistling duck is a part of the order Anseriformes, which includes all waterfowl. Swans, geese, and ducks are all a part of the family Anatidae. Within Anatidae, the family Dendrocygna encompasses all whistling ducks. Bird phylogenies are difficult to determine due to massive adaptive radiations throughout history. Scientists change phylogenetic trees often as new genetic information becomes available. In Australia philogonies are especially difficult, due to visually similar endemic and monotypic genera. Before genetic information was available, the Dendrocygna was classified within Anserinae by Delacour and Mayr. Within Anserinae, the Dendrocygna and Thalassornis were combined into one by Monrow in 1990 using DNA-DNA hybridization data. This genus then stayed consistent. Using mitochondrial DNA in 1996 Swaml et al. discovered Dendrocyna diverged first following Anseranatidae. This genus is the most basal group after the magpie goose. Whistling ducks are more closely related to swans and geese than the “true ducks” such as mallards. Then, in 2002 a study using sequenced DNA from the complete mitochondrial control region supported the 1996 conclusion. Within Denrocygna, the Spotted Whistling Duck was the most recent species discovery. In 1995 Livezey partitioned clades within the Dendrocygna, one clade including the Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Lesser whistling, D. arcuata and D. eytoni. D. arcuata and D. javanica are sister species. Outside this clade, the spotted whistling duck and the West Indian whistling duck are sister species. Distribution Whistling ducks are found all over the world. The spotted whistling duck is distributed throughout the Philippines, Australia, and New Guinea. These ducks live in the southern part of the Philippines and several islands of Indonesia. In Indonesia spotted whistling ducks stretch from the Eastern Lesser Sundas islands to new guinea. Spotted whistling ducks are also found in Weipa and Iron ranges of Australia, but have also been seen at Wonga Beach. Scientists hypothesize the Indonesian population was introduced due to a storm blowing the birds off course. Habitat Spotted whistling ducks live around bodies of water, like many other ducks. These ducks specifically live around small ponds and marshes surrounded by trees. They prefer humid and low altitude habitats. Spotted whistling ducks build hollows within the trees surrounding their habitats. Diet and Feeding The Diet of the spotted whistling duck contains grass seeds, aquatic invertebrates,