Fulvous Whistling Duck
Dendrocygna bicolor
Fulvous Whistling Ducks are a popular choice for wildfowl collections being the hardiest of the whistling duck tribe. Although of duller plumage than some, the Fulvous Whistling Duck has a pleasing character easy to befriend.
They have a shrill double-noted whistle and are known to squeal when they take to the wing. It is a characteristic that has given them both the name of ‘Mexican Squealer’ and ‘Whistling Teal’.
Fulvous Whistling Duck occupy a wide variety of habitats from shallow lakes and swamps to ricefields. They dive readily although not particularly gracefully and are often active at night.
In recent years, several colour morphs have become available. The natural colour is dominant, but occasionally a pale coloured bird may pop up in a brood from normal-looking parents. This probably means that both parents had a hidden morph colour in their ancestry, and would be described as ‘split’.
Fulvous breed easily in wildfowl collections, usually ground nesting but sometimes in trees or hollows. They lay 8-16 eggs, which both parents take turns to incubate for 24-28 days.