The Black-bellied Whistling Duck (*Dendrocygna autumnalis*) is a colorful, long-legged, and distinctly upright-standing waterfowl found across a wide range stretching from the southern United States through Central America and into much of South America, with its North American range having expanded notably northward in recent decades as the species has colonized new areas in Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, and Florida. It is an exceptionally handsome duck, with a rich chestnut-brown breast and back, a bold black belly — the feature that gives it its name — a gray face with a distinctive white eye ring, a bright coral-red bill, and long pink-red legs that give it a somewhat gangly, goose-like stance. In flight, it is unmistakable, flashing large white wing patches that contrast boldly with its dark flight feathers and body. Unlike most ducks, the sexes look virtually identical, and both parents share equally in incubating eggs and raising young. True to its name, it produces a distinctive, reedy, multi-noted whistle — a high-pitched, chattering call delivered both in flight and at rest — that is one of the most evocative and instantly recognizable sounds of the wetlands it inhabits. It favors shallow freshwater lakes, ponds, marshes, flooded fields, and golf course water features, and it is notably comfortable nesting in tree cavities, nest boxes, and even on rooftops, making it one of the more adaptable and human-tolerant waterfowl in the Americas. Gregarious, vocal, and visually striking, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a delightful and increasingly common sight across its expanding range.
