🔍 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks | Dendrocygna autumnalis
📍 Seen in Cascajal, San José, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
💬 The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is famously unbothered by humans — it often nests in backyard boxes and urban parks, making it one of the few wild ducks you might spot casually strolling through a suburban neighborhood like it owns the place.
🐾 Fauna Key Data
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis | |
| // Basic ID | |
| Conservation Status | LCLeast Concern (IUCN) |
| Coloration | Chestnut body with a black belly, bright coral-red bill and legs, bold white wing patch visible in flight, and a gray face with a brown cap. |
| Lifespan | Up to 10 years in the wild; longer in captivity. |
| // Size | |
| Length | 48–53 cm. |
| Weight | 652–1,020 g. |
| Wingspan | 76–94 cm. |
| // Habitat & Behavior | |
| Native Range | Southern United States south through Central America and into northern South America. |
| Habitat Type | Freshwater wetlands, marshes, flooded fields, ponds, lakes, and tropical lowland forests near water. |
| Diet | Omnivore; feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, grains, and small invertebrates. |
| Activity Pattern | Primarily nocturnal feeder; highly gregarious and often seen in large flocks year-round. |
Sources: IUCN Red List · Encyclopedia of Life · GBIF · Catalogue of Life