Black-billed Whistling Duck
Encyclopedia
The West Indian Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna arborea, is a whistling duck
which breeds in the Caribbean
. Alternative names are Black-billed Whistling Duck and Cuban Whistling Duck.
The West Indian Whistling Duck is widely scattered throughout the West Indies including a large breeding population in the Bahamas
, and smaller numbers in Cuba
, the Cayman Islands
, Antigua and Barbuda
, and Jamaica
. It is largely sedentary, apart from local movements which can be 100 km or more. Nests have been reported in tree cavities, on branches, in clumps of bromeliads
, and on the ground under thatch palm
s and other dense bushes. The usual clutch size is 10-16 egg
s. It habitually perches in trees, which gives rise to its specific name.
The birds are mostly nocturnal and secretive, inhabiting wooded swamp
s and mangrove
s, where this duck
roosts and feeds on plant food including the fruit of the Royal Palm
.
The West Indian Whistling Duck is the largest (48-58 cm) and darkest of its genus. It has a long black bill, long head and longish legs. It has a pale foreneck and light brown face. The crown, back, breast and wings are dark brown to black, and the rest of the underparts are white with heavy black markings.
All plumages are similar, except that juveniles are duller and have a less contrasted belly pattern.
, with continuing conversion for development and agriculture. More than 50% of remaining wetlands are seriously degraded by the cutting of mangrove
s and swamp-forest, pollution (especially over-use of pesticides1) and natural catastrophes such as drought
s and hurricanes. Predation
is inadequately documented but may be a factor.
Ducks are predated on Antigua by the mongoose introduced to control the cane rats which was largely unsuccessful as the rats live in trees
Dendrocygninae
The whistling ducks or tree ducks are a subfamily, Dendrocygninae of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae. In other taxonomical approaches, they are either considered a separate family "Dendrocygnidae", or a tribe "Dendrocygnini" in the goose subfamily Anserinae The whistling ducks or...
which breeds in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. Alternative names are Black-billed Whistling Duck and Cuban Whistling Duck.
The West Indian Whistling Duck is widely scattered throughout the West Indies including a large breeding population in the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, and smaller numbers in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
, Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. It is largely sedentary, apart from local movements which can be 100 km or more. Nests have been reported in tree cavities, on branches, in clumps of bromeliads
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana...
, and on the ground under thatch palm
Thatch palm
The name Thatch palm is applied to several different species of palm trees in the genera Coccothrinax, Howea and Thrinax. The name comes from the use of these trees for roof thatching....
s and other dense bushes. The usual clutch size is 10-16 egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s. It habitually perches in trees, which gives rise to its specific name.
The birds are mostly nocturnal and secretive, inhabiting wooded swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s and mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s, where this duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
roosts and feeds on plant food including the fruit of the Royal Palm
Roystonea
Roystonea is a genus of eleven species of monoecious palms, native to the Caribbean Islands, and the adjacent coasts of Florida, Central and South America. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named for Roy Stone, a U.S. Army engineer...
.
The West Indian Whistling Duck is the largest (48-58 cm) and darkest of its genus. It has a long black bill, long head and longish legs. It has a pale foreneck and light brown face. The crown, back, breast and wings are dark brown to black, and the rest of the underparts are white with heavy black markings.
All plumages are similar, except that juveniles are duller and have a less contrasted belly pattern.
Threats
The West Indian Whistling Duck has suffered extensive hunting for its eggs and for sport. Wetlands are a very limited habitat in the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, with continuing conversion for development and agriculture. More than 50% of remaining wetlands are seriously degraded by the cutting of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s and swamp-forest, pollution (especially over-use of pesticides1) and natural catastrophes such as drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s and hurricanes. Predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
is inadequately documented but may be a factor.
Current conservation measures
CITES Appendix II. CMS Appendix II. It is legally protected throughout much of its range, but law enforcement is inadequate. N. L. Staus (1997) The West Indian Whistling Duck Working Group initiated a conservation programme in 1997. L. G. Sorenson (1997) There are several protected areas in the region but, in general, suitable habitat, especially wetlands, is under-represented. N. L. Staus (1997)Ducks are predated on Antigua by the mongoose introduced to control the cane rats which was largely unsuccessful as the rats live in trees
Proposed conservation measures
Conduct extensive surveys to assess numbers and distribution; assist local authorities in establishing a long-term monitoring programme; conserve key sites; enforce legal protection; initiate public education and awareness programmes. Staus (1997)Gallery
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet., birdlife.org
- ARKiveARKiveARKive is a global initiative with the mission of "promoting the conservation of the world's threatened species, through the power of wildlife imagery", which it does by locating and gathering films, photographs and audio recordings of the world's species into a centralised digital archive. Its...
- images and movies of the West Indian whistling-duck (Dendrocygna arborea)