Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 18.5–20.1 in
47–51 cm - Weight
- 23–36 oz
652–1020 g
Other Names
- Black-bellied Tree Duck
- Siffleur à bec rouge, Siffleur à narines jaunes, Dendrocygne àventre noir (French)
- Pichichí, Pijiji, Pichichil, Pichihuili, Yaguasa, Pato chiflador, Pato maizal, Pixixi (Spanish)
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.
Habitat
Marsh
Food
Plants
Aquatic plants, grass, grain, insects, and mollusks.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 9–18 eggs
- Egg Description
- White.
- Condition at Hatching
- Downy young leave the nest soon after hatching.
Nest Description
Usually in tree cavity, without lining. Sometimes a scrape on ground or shallow bowl of woven grasses, with thick vegetation overhead, such as cactus. Uses nestboxes.
Nest Placement
Cavity
Behavior
Dabbler
Conservation
Least Concern
Increasing in numbers in the United States.
Credits
- 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.