[20] Eggs are laid at roughly 24- to 36-hour intervals, starting before the nest is complete, resulting in some losses from the clutch. Common south of the U.S., Black … BREEDING HABITAT. at “Dead Pig Ponds” about Body feathers may be moulted throughout the year; each feather is replaced only once annually. Endemicity. The nest, built from plant material and unlined, is placed among dense vegetation or in a tree hole. The ducklings hatch in 24 to 26 days, and both parents care for the young. In the United States they are rarely found far from rice fields, which provide both food … [19] They are noisy and display their aggression towards other individuals by throwing back their heads. It may also be built at the edge of a pond or swamp, in a clump of bulrushes, or in a clump of cattails or other vegetation. 1982, Kear 2005a). The Fulvous Whistling-Duck is a mix of rich caramel-brown and black, a long-legged and long-necked creature found in warm freshwater marshes across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Of the two species that reach the United States only one, the Fulvous Whistling-Duck, has been recorded in Washington. [34] In Africa, it bred on the Cape Peninsula between 1940 and the 1960s. Fulvous Whistling Duck. Foraging is by picking plant items while walking or swimming, by upending, or occasionally by diving to a depth of up to 1 m (3.3 ft). ... Habitat Specialization. The fulvous whistling duck feeds in wetlands by day or night on seeds and other parts of plants. Information about the classification of bicolor. Dendrocygna bicolor. [36], A species of bird in the family Anatidae, widespread in tropical wetlands, Scientific names are given in accordance with strict chronological priority, so Gmelin's name could not be used since it had previously allocated to another species. [1] It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The Fulvous Whistling Duck is a common but wary species. In flight, the wings are brown above and black below, with no white markings, and a white crescent on the rump contrasts with the black tail. [16] Observations of the bird outside the nesting season, especially since the 1950s have been recorded in temperate regions as far north as the Mississippi River Basin, eastern Great Lakes region, and along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts right up to southern Canada. The Fulvous Whistling Duck prefers to roost on the ground rather than perching in trees. In the Americans it breeds from northern Argentina to southern California, along the Gulf Coast, … Click here for more information about the Red List categories and criteria Justification of Red List category This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small … [13] Old and regional names include large whistling teal,[5] brown tree duck, Mexican duck, pichiguila, squealer and Spanish cavalier. It is largely resident, apart from local movements, but vagrancy has occurred to southern Europe. It gleans seeds from grasses and weeds and forages for waste grain in cornfields and rice fields. The Fulvous Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) is a whistling duck which breeds across the world's tropical regions. [25], Breeding coincides with the availability of water. [16] The mantle is more darker shade of brown with buff-tipped feathers, the flight feathers and tail are dark brown, and a dark brown to black stripe runs through the center of the crown down the back of the neck to the base of the mantle. A tawny brown head, chest, breast and belly distinguish fulvous whistling ducks. and in Mexico most are found in open marshes, flooded fields and lagoons (Howell and Webb 1995). It is sometimes regarded as a pest of rice cultivation, and is also shot for food in parts of its range. [14], The fulvous whistling duck is 45–53 cm (18–21 in) long; the male weighs 748–1,050 g (26.4–37.0 oz), and the female averages marginally lighter at 712–1,000 g (25.1–35.3 oz). Its food is generally plant material, including seeds, bulbs, grasses and stems, but females may include animal items such as aquatic worms, molluscs and insects as they prepare for egg-laying, which may then comprise up to 4% of their diet. Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation. In India, the use of tree holes, and even the old nests of raptors or crows, is much more common than elsewhere. Sometimes more than one duck uses the same nest. Normally found in the extreme southern U.S., wandering individuals or small groups may occasionally be seen in nearly any location in the United States. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). [5], In South Africa, a few records of hybridization with the white-faced whistling duck have been noted in the wild;[28][29] in most parts of southern Africa, the two species breed at different times, bicolor during the dry season (April to September) and viduata during the rains (October to March). [22], Several arthropod parasites have been recorded on this duck, including chewing mites of the families Philopteridae and Menoponidae,[23][24] feather mites and skin mites. Like all ducklings, they are precocial and leave the nest after a day or so, but the parents protect them until they fledge around nine weeks later. The fulvous whistling duck prefers shallow wetlands with plenty of tall grass and other vegetation. [4] The fulvous whistling duck forms a superspecies with the wandering whistling duck. Very little down is added to the [19], Pairs may breed alone or in loose groups. The Indian subcontinent is the Asian stronghold. The whistling ducks, Dendrocygna, are a distinctive group of eight bird species within the duck, goose and swan family, Anatidae, which are characterised by a hump-backed, long-necked appearance and the whistled flight calls that give them their English name. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. bicolor. It is also found in Central and South America and in Africa and Asia. The fulvous whistling duck has a very large range extending across four continents. Ducklings may also eat a few insects. The fulvous whistling-duck's name comes from the hoarse whistling sound it makes and from its coloring. It flies at low altitude with slow wingbeats and trailing feet, in loose flocks rather than tight formation. Juvenile fulvous whistling ducks are very like young lesser whistling ducks, but the crown colour is still a distinction. Its habitat is still freshwater lakes, paddy fields or reservoirs with plentiful vegetation, where it feeds mainly at night on seeds and other parts of plants. In the United States they are rarely found far from rice fields, which provide both food … It is 18-21 inches in length. Like other members of its ancient lineage, it has a whistling call which is given in flight or on the ground. Today, nesting fulvous whistling ducks are abundant in rice-growing, freshwater wetland areas of south Florida. Diet. Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Large, long-legged, long-necked duck with dark brown back and white V-shaped rump patch. Its preferred habitat consists of wetlands with plentiful vegetation, including shallow lakes and paddy fields. Whistling-ducks are a distinctive group of about 8 species of brightly colored, oddly proportioned waterfowl. Such habitats include freshwater lakes, seasonal freshwater pools, slow-flowing streams, marshy areas, swamps in open flat terrain and flooded grasslands (Johnsgard 1978, Brown et al. This chestnut brown duck is confusable only with the fulvous whistling duck (D. bicolor) but has chestnut upper-tail coverts unlike the creamy white in the latter. It has a white rump and a blue-gray bill. [5], The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates the population of the fulvous whistling duck to be from 1.3 to 1.5 million individuals around the world. The ducklings fledge in about 60 days. It walks well, without waddling, and normally feeds by upending, though it can dive if necessary. Fulvous means tawny. Includes facts, pictures and articles. [12] "Fulvous" means reddish-yellow, and is derived from the Latin equivalent fulvus. [20] It undertakes seasonal movements in response to the availability of water and food. Fulvous Whistling Ducks are a popular choice for wildfowl collections being the hardiest of the whistling duck tribe. [7][a] This led to the next available name proposed by French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot in 1816 from a Paraguayan specimen as Anas bicolor. Most fulvous whistling ducks depart their breeding range in the United States durin… 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. It sometimes scoops up plant materials in shallow water. [5] In India, the breeding season is from June to October but peaking in July and August. Although of duller plumage than some, the Fulvous Whistling Duck has a pleasing character easy to befriend. 1982). The eggs hatch in about 24–29 days,[5] The downy ducklings are grey, with paler upperparts,[19] and a white band on the neck,[14] and weigh 22–38 g (0.78–1.34 oz) within a day of hatching. Fulvous Whistling-Ducks inhabit shallow freshwater marshes, lakes, and flooded agricultural fields. The juvenile has paler underparts, and appears generally duller, especially on the flanks. 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