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Photo by Randy Mitchell A black-bellied whistling duck flies over a marsh. Note the strong black and white coloring on its wings.
Black-bellied whistling duck
This week’s featured creature is a duck that at one time was only found in extreme south Texas, Mexico and South America, but is slowly moving northward.
There have been isolated sightings of black-bellied whistling ducks in Oklahoma in the past but reports of them seem to be more prevalent as of late.
In fact, just in the last two months or so, there’ve been reports of them near Blaine, Stonewall, Durant and around Hugo. Also, two birds were reported by a birder at Fort Sill Golf Course on Tuesday. So, that’s good enough for me to feature them today.
And, if you don’t mind, please let me know if you see one of these birds in southwest Oklahoma, or anywhere in Oklahoma for that matter. Reach me at rnw@usa.com. And please send photos if you would like. Thank you!
I love black-bellied whistling ducks. They have a unique look, and their high-pitched whistling calls are something else. Hearing them reminds me of one of my favorite places, South Padre Island, Texas. These birds are prevalent there.
Three sounds you’ll hear in South Padre Island include laughing gulls, crashing ocean waves and black-bellied whistling ducks.
The call is a soft, high whistle with a long first note and several following notes. They give the call in flight, while standing and while swimming.
When a group of these ducks gets together – which they often do – their squeaking sounds like a bunch of cartoon mice, in my opinion.
Appearance
Black-bellied whistling ducks have, well, black bellies. However, they are mostly chestnut, with gray faces and reddish-pink bills (photo).
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes them as large and gooselike, which I think is an accurate description.
Also, they have long, pink legs.
Habitat
Ponds, freshwater marshes and shallow, freshwater lakes. They forage in fields, lawns and shallow, freshwater ponds. It is not unusual to see these birds in agricultural fields and suburban parks, as well as on the roofs of houses and churches.
Range
As mentioned previously, these birds were once only found down south. Their permanent range includes portions of Mexico, South Texas, and an area in Central Florida.
Their breeding range extends up to the Texas and Oklahoma state line, according to some agencies, and a portion of Southern Arizona.
Diet
Black-bellied whistling ducks eat mainly plants, seeds and grains. About 10% of their diet includes snails, insects and other invertebrates.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that they typically forage at night, leaving roosts at sunset to fly to foraging areas. They feed in fields or by dabbling in shallow ponds.
Odds and ends
The Cornell Lab reports that black-bellied whistling ducks 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.
Editor’s Note: Randy Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. He has been an avid birdwatcher, nature enthusiast and photographer for more than 40 years. Reach him at rnw@usa.com.