Fulvous Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna bicolor

The Fulvous Whistling Duck is a friendly bird with a beautiful brown body and a cute whistle. They love to swim and can often be seen in groups near water.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Fulvous Whistling Duck is a medium-sized bird with a long neck and legs, distinctive among ducks. It has a rich, tawny-brown to orangey-brown body, a darker back, and a noticeable white stripe along its sides. Its bill and legs are bluish-grey.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusDendrocygna

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Interesting facts

A Fulvous Whistling Duck family can have over a dozen ducklings!

These ducks make a unique 'whistle' sound instead of a typical 'quack.'

They often fly in big, noisy flocks, especially at dawn and dusk.

They're sometimes called 'Tree Ducks' because they love perching in trees!

Special abilities

Fulvous Whistling Duck can dive underwater to find food, using its strong legs to propel itself through the water.

Fulvous Whistling Duck has strong feet and long legs that help them perch easily in trees, unlike most other duck species.

Fulvous Whistling Duck can feed actively at night, which helps them avoid predators and find food when others are resting.

Measurements & details

Length: 45-53 cm
Wingspan: 76-85 cm
Weight: 0.7-1 kg
Lifespan: 10-12 years
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Clutch Size: 6-16
Incubation: 24-31 days

Diet & Feeding

These ducks enjoy a plant-based diet, munching on seeds, grasses, and aquatic plants.

Primary Foods

grass seeds
aquatic plants
rice
young shoots
small insects

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eats

Rice

Oryza sativa

Consumes grains and young shoots, especially in rice fields.

eats

Broadleaf Cattail

Typha latifolia

Feeds on seeds and tender shoots from various marsh plants.

eaten by

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Alligators prey on eggs, ducklings, and adult ducks in wetland habitats.

eaten by

Nile Crocodile

Crocodilus niloticus

These crocodiles hunt ducks and ducklings in African wetlands.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.