Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

Order: Anseriformes | Family: Anatidae  | IUCN Status: Least Concern

Black-bellied-Whistling-Duck
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Patria, Madre de Dios

Black-bellied-Whistling-Duck
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Florida, USA

Black-bellied-Whistling-Duck
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Iquitos area, Peru

Black-bellied-Whistling-Duck
Age: Adult & Chicks | Sex: Female & Unknown | Loc. Southern Brazil


Identification & Behavior: ~50.5 cm (19.8 in). Sexes are alike.  The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a long-legged duck. They have pale grey upper neck and head, with a red bill and white eye-ring.  The body is mostly rich brown and gray with a black belly. Extensive white in the wings is obvious in flight. Juveniles are similar but have a grey bill and less contrasting belly. See other closely related ducks including the Fulvous Whistling Duck and White-faced Whistling Duck.

Status: The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a rare resident in Tumbes in rice fields and pools in mangrove forests. Also, it is apparently a resident in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. There are scattered sight records of this species in high Andean Lakes and coastal wetlands.

Name in Spanish: Pato-Silbón de Vientre Negro.

Sub-species: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) (Linnaeus, 1758).

Meaning of Name: Dendrocygna: Gr. dendros= tree; and cygna, cygnus= related to a swan.  autumnalis: L. autumnus, autumni= fall.  An arboreal swan-like duck of the fall season.

See more of the Family Anatidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
Black-bellied Whistling-DuckVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 11/09/2014.