Black-bellied whistling duck

Description:

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are year-round residents of freshwater wetlands, particularly in central Florida. Black-bellied whistling ducks are dark overall: a chestnut breast and black belly are set off by a bright-pink bill and legs, grayish face, and broad white wing stripe, also visible in flight. Immatures are duller than adults, with a dark bill, pale breast, and mottled black belly.

Habitat:

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks roam edges of shallow ponds, golf courses, city parks, and schoolyards. They also frequent agricultural fields, particularly flooded rice fields. They seem to readily adopt human-altered habitats, and this has helped them move north into the southern U.S. in recent decades. There was a pretty good size group of these ducks along the pond bank at Tuscawilla Park, Ocala, Florida.