Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

About the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is a tall, goose-like duck with a chestnut body, black belly, gray face, bold white wing stripe, and a bright coral-pink bill and legs. In flight the broad white wing patches and trailing legs make identification easy, as does the constant squealing whistle that gives the bird its name.

Unusual among ducks, they perch readily in trees, nest in cavities and nest boxes, and form long-term pair bonds, with both parents tending the young. Feeding is mostly nocturnal and largely vegetarian - waste grain, grass seeds, and moist-soil plants - supplemented with insects and snails.

Once confined to deep South Texas, the species has expanded dramatically and is now a year-round resident across much of the state, with numbers peaking in summer around ponds, resacas, and even suburban neighborhoods.