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Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna bicolorOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)
Codes: Common Name: FUWD Scientific Name: DENBIC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175046
Least Concern
 
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
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Overview

Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Large, long-legged, long-necked duck with dark brown back and white V-shaped rump patch. Head and underparts are buff with white throat and vent. The white-edged side and flank feathers form a striking border between sides and back. Tail is black with white undertail coverts.

Range and Habitat

Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Breeds in southern California, coastal Texas and Louisiana, and southern Florida; winters along the east coast of Mexico. Preferred habitats include shallow freshwater marshes, lakes, and flooded agricultural fields.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"k-weeoo", "kee"

Interesting Facts

 The Fulvous Whistling-Duck's common name comes from the hoarse whistling sound it makes and from its coloring. Fulvous means tawny.

 They are easily domesticated and are quite tame even in the wild.

 Largely nocturnal, they migrate at night and rest and feed during the day, unlike most other ducks.

 A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

Splitbar
Range Map for Fulvous Whistling-Duck

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Family Whistling Duck (Anatidae)_blue
Species Dendrocygna bicolor
Length18 - 21 Inches
Wingspan36 Inches

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Large, long-legged, long-necked duck with dark brown back and white V-shaped rump patch. Head and underparts are buff with white throat and vent. The white-edged side and flank feathers form a striking border between sides and back. Tail is black with white undertail coverts.

● Song: "k-weeoo", "kee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Feeds almost exclusively on aquatic vegetation, rice, and seeds of marsh plants; forages day and night.

● Breeding & nesting: Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Twelve to fourteen white eggs are laid in a shallow cup of grass lined with down. Nest is built on the ground in dense vegetation or floats on the water. Incubation ranges from 24 to 26 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Black-bellied Whistling Duck has dark rump, white wing stripes, and lacks white flank stripes.

Flight Pattern

Direct heronlike flight with slow deep wing beats.
Fulvous Whistling-Duck Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Fulvous Whistling-Duck: Breeds in southern California, coastal Texas and Louisiana, and southern Florida; winters along the east coast of Mexico. Preferred habitats include shallow freshwater marshes, lakes, and flooded agricultural fields.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationUncommon to locally common
MigrationMigratory
Weight25.6 Ounces
Duck-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
Undertail covertsX
Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.
FlankX
The lateral area posterior to the side of the bird’s body that extends back to the base of the tail.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
VentX
Birds do not have two separate cavities for excrement and reproduction like humans do. In birds, there is one single entrance/exit that suits both functions called the vent, cloaca or anus.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX