Dendrocygna autumnalis
Length: 18-20 in Weight: 1.5-2.5 lbs
Identification:
Distinctive red bill, black belly, and dark rufous body with white/buff outlining the wing. Compared to other ducks, whistling-ducks often stand in a distinctive upright posture.
Distribution:
Found year-round in southeast Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Main population is found year round along the Mexican coast and in South America.
Cool Facts:
The United States is at the extreme northern range limit for this species. While some Black-bellied Whistling-ducks remains year-round in the southern US, others migrate hundreds of miles to spend winter in Mexico.
Whistling-ducks were formerly called tree-ducks, as some species, including the Black-bellied Whistling-duck, have a habit of perching in trees.
Trust me. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard a whistling-duck call.
Make your own bird cookies!
References:
Bird on the Move 