From Opus

Alternative names: Black-billed Whistling-Duck, Cuban Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna arborea

Photo by noddingdogbob
Photo taken: Grand Cayman Island.

[edit] Identification

48-58 cm. Long black bill, long head and legs, pale foreneck, light brown face, dark brown-black crown, back, breast and wings, white underparts with heavy black markings. Sexes are similar; juveniles are duller.

[edit] Distribution

Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Antigua-Barbuda.

[edit] Taxonomy

This species is monotypic.^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Wooded swamps and mangroves.

[edit] Behaviour

Nocturnal.

They nest in tree cavities, on branches, in clumps of bromeliads, and on the ground under thatch palms and other dense bushes. 10-16 eggs are laid.

The diet includes plant food.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

[edit] External Links

• The West Indian Whistling Duck was the bird of the month of the Society for Conservation and study of Caribbean Birds recently; this is a relatively complete presentation of the species.