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A photo of a Fulvous Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)
Fulvous Whistling Duck

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna bicolor

The fulvous whistling duck or fulvous tree duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) is a species of whistling duck that breeds across the world's tropical regions in much of Mexico and South America, the West Indies, the southern United States, sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent. It has plumage that is mainly reddish brown, long legs and a long grey bill, and shows a distinctive white band across its black tail in flight. Like other members of its ancient lineage, it has a whistling call which is given in flight or on the ground. Its preferred habitat consists of wetlands with plentiful vegetation, including shallow lakes and paddy fields. The unlined nest is built from plant material and is placed among dense vegetation or in a tree hole. The typical clutch is around ten whitish eggs. The breeding adults, which pair for life, take turns to incubate, and the eggs hatch in 24–29 days. The downy grey ducklings leave the nest within a day or so of hatching, but the parents continue to protect them until they fledge around nine weeks later. The fulvous whistling duck feeds in wetlands by day or night on seeds and other parts of plants. It is sometimes regarded as a pest of rice cultivation, and is also shot for food in parts of its range. Despite hunting, poisoning by pesticides and natural predation by mammals, birds, and reptiles, the large numbers and huge range of this duck mean that it is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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Fulvous Whistling Ducks on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🦜
Pierre De Villiers
Saturday 30 Sep 2023 - 4:24pm
South Africa
A photo of a Fulvous Whistling Duck photographed in Strandfontein WTP South Africa
Profile picture for Charles Britz
Charles Britz
Wednesday 27 Sep 2023 - 8:55am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
🦉
Lucille Kaspersen
Sunday 24 Sep 2023 - 10:46am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Aart Verrips
Aart Verrips
Wednesday 20 Sep 2023 - 12:46pm
South Africa

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