Black-bellied WHistling-Duck

Sight

  • Long-necked duck

  • “Gooselike” appearance

  • Long, Pinkish legs

  • Bill typically pinkish to reddish

  • Brownish-gray head/face

  • White eye-ring

  • Narrow dark stripe from crown to hindneck

  • Conspicuous white patch on the wing, very visible in flight

  • Brownish Cinnamon breast, lower neck, and back.

  • Lower belly black and spotted with white

  • The underside of the wing is black

  • Legs extending beyond tail in flight

  • Wingbeats slow

  • Flies in lines

  • Immature birds overall tan on the face, neck, and breast

  • Immatures have black on flanks

  • Immature has a pale, blue bill

  • Immature has a generally grayish appearance.

  • Immatures have purple-gray feet and legs.

  • Ducklings have unique black patterns against yellow body

  • Ducklings have gray bills and legs

Fulgens subspecies

Adults are fairly easy to distinguish from other ducks. Juvenile birds are fairly similar generally to Fulvous, check immature notes.

Different Xeno Canto links(by order as provided in bullets)

pe-che-che-ne: https://xeno-canto.org/102174

yip: https://xeno-canto.org/574046

Fulvous hybrid

*Very variable

  • Partial or thin white eye-ring

  • Bill is partly Blue/black and Pink, typically pink at the base

  • Underside typically chestnut whether as black

  • The face is a perfect tan color, almost like a West Indian Whistling Duck.

Sound

  • High pitched, soft whistle pe-che-che-ne. The pe is typically long and drawn out.

  • Short yip. Singular or in series.

  • Additional flight call chit-chit-chit or cheet-cheet.

  • Distraction call oo-eek

  • Utter twittering sounds while loafing

This shows the Juvenile birds with markings.

This shows all head features very well. Pinkish red bill with dark stripe and eye ring.

This shows the inflight features well. White patch in wing and legs past tail.

This is the bet photo to show all basic id features.

This shows the black and white spots on undertail.

Shows what a flock of birds looks like in flight.

Hybrid Black-bellied x Fulvous Whistling-Duck. Notice the thin eye-ring and pinkish base of the bill. Body resembling a Fulvous more than a Black-bellied.

Gallery

This shows the immature field marks like the gray bill, gray/purplish feet and overall tan coloring.

Another look at juvenile ID features. Note bill, tan-brown coloration and gray legs.