# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Fulvous Whistling Duck](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Marrecas-caneleiras_-_Dendrocygna_bicolor.jpg&width=800) Photo: Germano Roberto Schüür, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marrecas-caneleiras_-_Dendrocygna_bicolor.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Dendrocygna ## 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 - **Water Acrobat:** Fulvous Whistling Duck can dive underwater to find food, using its strong legs to propel itself through the water. - **Tree Percher:** Fulvous Whistling Duck has strong feet and long legs that help them perch easily in trees, unlike most other duck species. - **Night Navigator:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch or feed them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fulvous Whistling Duck? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Fulvous Whistling Duck? 45-53 cm ### What is Fulvous Whistling Duck's wingspan? 76-85 cm ### How much does Fulvous Whistling Duck weigh? 0.7-1 kg ### How long does Fulvous Whistling Duck live? 10-12 years ### How fast can Fulvous Whistling Duck move? 60 km/h ### What does Fulvous Whistling Duck eat? These ducks enjoy a plant-based diet, munching on seeds, grasses, and aquatic plants. ### Where is Fulvous Whistling Duck usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Crowley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crowley-historic-district) — Louisiana, US · Historic District ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Fulvous Whistling Duck: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fulvous-whistling-duck)