These beauties arrived on a pond near my home

[ruthhope]

Black-bellied whistling ducks have extended their range and now migrate north as far as NE Florida. Lovely looking ducks!

 

[Jaeden Mckinley]

View attachment 3149293
Black-bellied whistling ducks have extended their range and now migrate north as far as NE Florida. Lovely looking ducks!

Wow, beautiful birds

 

[ruthhope]

I found some information on these ducks

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sumterco/2020/04/13/black-bellied-whistling-duck/

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/waterfowl/black-bellied-whistling-ducks/

 

[Coops Dad]

Beautiful ducks. I had a pair nest in the debris on top of my wood shed two years ago, I think because the back pasture has been heavily seeded with grain and beans for the chickens and turkeys to forage. Whistlers are vegetarian, and seed and grain crops draw them like moths to a porch light. They are the best duck for eating, too- I let the nesting pair alone but their friends and family that came to visit were fair game. Small breasts, smallish thighs.

They didn't hatch out any ducklings because something got to the eggs. One day they were there, the next day they were gone. Broken egg remnants were all that remained.

 

[Coops Dad]

They are VERY aggressive in defending their nest area, by the way, and are eager to drive Wood Ducks out of their nests and claim them as their own. That's the main reason why Wood Duck hunters hate whistlers.

 

[ruthhope]

The visiting black bellied whistling ducks now have ducklings!!!

They are just the cutest and Mama Duck is gorgeous!

 

[ruthhope]

Wow, beautiful birds

They have ducklings now!

 

[The Ranch Girl]

wow how pretty!

 

[janiedoe]

This picture is from a few years back. We have whistling ducks most years, but I haven't seen any this year so far.

 

[Coops Dad]

I don't know if I mentioned it but they're delicious.