Back to Birdhouse Guide
Cavity Nester
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Back to Birdhouse Guide
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Long-legged tropical duck of the Gulf Coast and Latin America, with a coral-pink bill and a loud whistling call. The species has expanded its US range dramatically over the past 30 years.
Widespread and abundant; no known immediate threats to the population.
Often perches in trees, uncommon behaviour for ducks, and earned the older nickname 'tree duck' as a result.
Range has expanded rapidly northward in the past 30 years; now common in coastal Texas, Louisiana, and parts of the Southeast.
Loud, high-pitched whistling calls (rather than typical duck quacks) gave the genus its name.
Pairs mate for life and both parents tend the brood, also uncommon among ducks.
Resident through southern Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.
Common year-round in coastal Texas, Louisiana, and increasingly into Florida and the Southeast.
Resident through Mexico, Central America, and much of South America to northern Argentina.
This species needs a box larger or differently-shaped than our three standard sizes. We make these as one-off prints to the published nest dimensions, with all the species-specific requirements baked in.
Two broods per year possible in tropical parts of the range.