Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna bicolor

Description 18-21" (46-53 cm). A long-legged, long-necked, goose-like duck. Body mainly tawny, with white stripe on side; wings dark; rump and undertail coverts white.

Voice A hoarse whistle, ka-wheee.

Habitat Rice fields, freshwater marshes, wet meadows, and lagoons.

Nesting 12-15 buff-white eggs in a shallow cup of grass or a well-woven basket of reeds in a marsh. Sometimes several females lay in the same nest.

Range Resident in southern California, coastal Texas and Louisiana, and southern Florida. Also in American tropics and Old World.

Discussion Although Fulvous Whistling-Ducks in North America breed only in California, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, they sometimes wander. Small flocks have turned up as far away as British Columbia and Nova Scotia. These long-legged ducks do most of their feeding on land, eating green grass, seeds, and acorns. This species was formerly known as the "Fulvous Tree Duck." The name "fulvous" refers to its tawny color.

Seasonal Distribution