Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Physical Features

The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a dabbling duck with an upright posture, long pink legs that are easily observed when perched on trees, and a long neck. It has a pale grey head and mostly grey-brown plumage. Its belly and tail are black, and the body plumage, back of its neck and cap are chestnut brown. Their face and upper neck are grey, and they sport a thin and distinctive white eye-ring. The white wings are very conspicuous in flight. The male and females are similar in appearance but the juveniles have a grey bill and less contrasting belly. They have an average length of 19.4' in males 19' in females and the males weigh 1.80 lbs while the females weigh 1.85 lbs.

Habitat

The Black-bellied Whistling Duck lives in wooded marshes, swampy forests, flooded fields and lagoons mostly avoiding lakes, except with shallow water areas near the shores. They require waters with dense vegetation for feeding, and close trees for nesting. They are found from the sea level up to 1500 meters above sea level. Their breeding habitat is found in the south of United States including Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana and also into Central and South America to northern Argentina. They winter from southern Texas southwards and reside in Florida. The northern populations might be migratory moving southwards, but most of the populations reside in their range, apart from some local movements according to their food resources.

Diet

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks feeds actively at night on grains, seeds, some insects, mollusks and leaves and shoots found in fields and shallow water mostly during. It feeds on vegetation by grazing on the ground, and also dabbling in shallow waters. They also feed on submerged vegetation by wading in shallow water.

Meat

Black-bellied Whistling Duck meat is flavorsome and popular although it is somewhat fatty.

Behavior

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck rests during the day in mudflats and sandy areas, perched on trees or shrubs above water because they are nocturnal, feeding and migrating at night. When not breeding, the bird is very sociable feeding in flocks of up to several hundreds of individuals and flying in large noisy flocks. They are shy birds and remain hidden among vegetation in large marshes. They molt after breeding and cannot fly for between 30 to 40 days. They can nest on trees, in cavities, in nest boxes, and on the ground in the absence of mammalian nest predators. Mated pairs nest in the same place year after year. They form life-long bonds and share responsibilities of incubation and brood rearing among themselves. The female lays an average of 12 to 16 whitish eggs. Several females may use the same nest to lay their eggs, which may result in egg dumping where the eggs are abandoned. Both parents incubate the eggs for 12 to 16 days after which they hatch into precocial chicks that are yellow with black spots. The chicks leave the nest and are able to feed themselves normally within two days. They remain with their parents for up to two months and are able to fly by that time. They have a lifespan of up to 8 years. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks make a clear whistling “waa-chooo” call and utter a whistling 'pe-che-che' call in flight.

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