Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, adults, Brazos Bend, TX, February

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Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, adult, TX, April.

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A striking and gregarious duck of the Neotropics, the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck reaches the United States only in the very southern parts. Its long neck, long legs, black belly, and white wing patch make it a distinctive-looking waterfowl.

Description

• Medium-sized duck.
• Long neck.
• Long, pink legs.
• Chest and back rufous.
• Face gray.
• Bill red.
• Belly black.
• Large white patch on back of wings.

• Size: 47-51 cm (19-20 in)
• Weight: 652-1020 g (23.02-36.01 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Sound

Noisy. Call a high-pitched, soft wheezy whistle of four notes to six notes, accented on second or third syllable.

Conservation Status

Increasing in numbers in the United States.

Other Names

Siffleur à bec rouge, Siffleur à narines jaunes, Dendrocygne àventre noir (French)
Pichichí, Pijiji, Pichichil, Pichihuili, Yaguasa, Pato chiflador, Pato maizal, Pixixi (Spanish)
Black-bellied Tree Duck (English)

Cool Facts

• The whistling-ducks were formerly known as tree-ducks, but only a few, such as the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck actually perch or nest in trees. They look most like ducks, but their lack of sexual dimorphism, relatively long-term pair bonds, and lack of complex pair-forming behavior more resembles geese and swans.

Sources used to construct this page:

James, J. D., and J. E. Thompson. 2001. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 578 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.