Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Black-bellied Whistling-DuckBlack-bellied Whistling-DuckBlack-bellied Whistling-DuckBlack-bellied Whistling-Duck

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna autumnalis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Bastimentos Island National Marine Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

217 Verified sightings at Bastimentos Island National Marine Park From 2019 to 2026
10,857 In all 48 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

The black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) or black-bellied tree duck, is a whistling duck that before 2000 bred mainly from the southernmost United States to south-central South America. It can be found year-round in much of the United States. It has been recorded in every eastern state and adjacent Canadian province. Since it is one of only two whistling duck species native to North America, it is occasionally just known as the "whistling duck" or "Mexican squealer" in the southern USA.

In 1751 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the black-bellied whistling duck in the fourth volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The red-billed whistling duck". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a live bird kept at the home of Admiral Charles Wager in Chelsea, London. Edwards was told that the bird had come from the West Indies. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the black-bellied whistling duck with the ducks, geese and swans in the genus Anas. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:26

French Guiana · 2024

© Tristan Guillebot de Nerville · XC1150324 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Nocturnal flight call0:04

United States · 2025

© Contina Lab at UTRGV Brownsville · XC1008043 · CC BY 4.0

Song0:06

Mexico · 2024

© Leonardo Guzman Hernandez · XC920149 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~70%
2 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
3 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
5 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~20%
6 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
7 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
8 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
9 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
10 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
11 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
12 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
13 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
14 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
15 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
16 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
17 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
18 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
19 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
20 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
21 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
22 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
23 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
26 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
28 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
30 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
31 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
32 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
34 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
35 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
37 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
38 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
39 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
40 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
41 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
43 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
44 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
45 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
46 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
47 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
48 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Guayaquil 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
4 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
~20%
5 León 🇲🇽 México
~20%
6 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 Santa Cruz de la Sierra 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
8 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Vitória 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
10 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Disney's Animal Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Moscow Zoo 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
3 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Dresden Zoo 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
5 Planckendael Zoo 🇧🇪 Belgium In captivity
6 Barcelona Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
7 Parc Phœnix 🇫🇷 France In captivity
8 Walsrode World Bird Park 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
9 Zoo Miami 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
10 Slimbridge Wetland Centre 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
11 Phoenix Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
12 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
13 Wildlife World Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
14 Parque Municipal Summit 🇵🇦 Panama In captivity
15 Africam Safari 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
16 Xcaret 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
17 Antalya Zoo 🇹🇷 Türkiye In captivity
18 Parc animalier de Gramat 🇫🇷 France In captivity
19 Guadalajara Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
20 Ukumarí Biopark 🇨🇴 Colombia In captivity
21 Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
22 Kyiv Zoo 🇺🇦 Ukraine In captivity
23 Terra Natura Benidorm 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
24 Brevard Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
25 Zacango Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
26 ZooTampa 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
27 Metro Richmond Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
28 Zoológico la pastroa 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
29 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
30 Jijamata Udyaan 🇮🇳 India In captivity
31 San Antonio Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
32 Tierpark Hagenbeck 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
33 Cameron Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
34 Cologne Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
35 Philadelphia Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
36 Chapultepec Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
37 Bosque Rodrigues Alves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
38 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
39 Bird Paradise 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
40 Aquarama Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
41 Rainforest Wild Asia 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
42 Zoo das Aves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
43 Amaru 🇪🇨 Ecuador In captivity
44 Biotropica 🇫🇷 France In captivity
45 La Paz Waterfall Gardens 🇨🇷 Costa Rica In captivity
46 Vogelpark Avifauna 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
47 Aviario Nacional de Colombia 🇨🇴 Colombia In captivity
48 Zoologischer Garten Halle 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
49 Bramble Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
50 Safari Masai Mara 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity

Closest Relatives at Bastimentos Island National Marine Park

Blue-winged Teal
LC

Blue-winged Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula discors

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Muscovy Duck
LC

Muscovy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cairina moschata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
American Wigeon
LC

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Lesser Scaup
LC

Lesser Scaup

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya affinis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-lored Parrot
LC

Red-lored Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona autumnalis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Bananaquit
LC

Bananaquit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coereba flaveola

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
LC

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazilia tzacatl

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Montezuma Oropendola
LC

Montezuma Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius montezuma

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Magnificent Frigatebird
LC

Magnificent Frigatebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fregata magnificens

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck sighting in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on a given day, based on 217 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 152nd most-seen of the 375 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?

January–May, July and September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August and October–December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-bellied Whistling-Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Bastimentos Island National Marine Park the best place to see a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck?

21st of 48

Of the 48 parks where we can rate Black-bellied Whistling-Duck sightings, Bastimentos Island National Marine Park ranks 21st at about 10%. The best odds are in Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 70%), Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 30%) and Iberá National Park (Argentina, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck live in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck that you can see in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Blue-winged Teal (about 10%) and Muscovy Duck (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (217 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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