Black-bellied whistling-duck

Black-bellied whistling-ducks spend much of their time out of the water, standing on banks, perching on branches and fences, and grazing in fields and lawns. They feed mostly at dusk and through the night, and flocks call constantly in flight with a squealing, whistled "pe-che-che-ne".

They pair for long periods, often for life, and both parents care for the young, which is unusual among ducks.

These ducks eat large amounts of weed seed and waste grain, and their spread across the Southeast since the 1980s is one of the clearest recent changes in the region's birdlife.

They take readily to nest boxes, and in places where old hollow trees have been cleared the boxes put up for wood ducks now raise both species.

Nest — A tree hollow, nest box or sometimes a spot on the ground, with no added lining
Eggs — Usually 12 to 16 white eggs; some boxes hold more laid by several females
Incubation — About 25 to 30 days, shared by both parents
Hatching — Ducklings leave the nest within a day or two, dropping to the ground
Young — Both parents guard them; they feed themselves from the start
Flight — At about eight weeks old
Lifespan — Several years; wild birds over eight years are recorded

• Nest boxes built for wood ducks suit them too, mounted over water or at a pond's edge with a predator guard below.
• They graze lawns and golf courses beside ponds and do no harm there.
• Ducklings dropping from a nest box to the ground is normal; the parents lead them to water.
• Fishing line and hooks left at pond edges tangle legs and bills.

• Ducklings alone on the ground under a nest box have fallen out. They jumped, as they are meant to. The parents call them together and walk them to water; keeping people and pets back is the help they need.
• Ducks that perch in trees must be escaped pets. Whistling-ducks perch as naturally as they swim.
• They are a tropical bird that got lost. They have spread north and now breed widely in Georgia.

• Wood duck
• Mallard
• Mottled duck