BirdNote; Ducks That Whistle

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BirdNote®
Ducks That Whistle
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
A flock of gorgeous waterfowl flies above a marsh on the Texas coastline. Large and slender, they have bright pink bills and legs, chestnut necks and backs, and black underparts. Their wings flash boldly, black and white. And as they fly, they whistle.
[Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/74011581, 0.04-.07]
They’re called Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, and they’re widespread in Central and South America. They’ve been easy to find in the U.S. along the western Gulf Coast and Florida. But they’re also expanding northward — they’ve been spotted nesting as far north as Wisconsin.
[Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/265770151], 0.28-.29]
The Black-bellied is one of eight species of whistling-ducks worldwide, in the tropics and subtropics. Whistling-ducks are anything but typical ducks, to which they’re only distantly related.
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are monogamous, and the male and female look alike. At roost during the day, whistling-ducks will sometimes stand on tree branches, their long pink legs catching the sun. Late in the day, large flocks gather, then whistle their way overhead at sunset to nighttime feeding areas in fields or along the shore.
[Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/74011581, 0.04-.07]
A lovely and vibrant spectacle, with unique sound effects.
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
Today’s show brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation.
###
Senior Producer: John Kessler
Production Manager: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
Digital Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ML 74011581 recorded by P. Marvin, and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ML 265770151 recorded by J. McGowan.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2021 BirdNote October 2021 Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# BBWD-01-2021-10-06 BBWD-01
This record is featured in “BirdNote.”
Series
BirdNote
Episode
Ducks That Whistle
Producing Organization
BirdNote
Contributing Organization
BirdNote (Seattle, Washington)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-ebefbb7c502
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Description
Episode Description
Whistling as they fly, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are gorgeous waterfowl with bright pink bills and legs, chestnut necks and backs, and black underparts. Though most whistling-ducks live in the tropics, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are found in the U.S. along the western Gulf Coast and Florida. But they’re expanding their range and have been spotted nesting as far north as Wisconsin. This show brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation.
Created Date
2021-10-06
Asset type
Episode
Topics
Science
Rights
Sounds for BirdNote stories were provided by the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Xeno-Canto, Martyn Stewart, Chris Peterson, John Kessler, and others. Where music was used, fair use was taken into consideration. Individual credits are found at the bottom of each transcript.
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:01:45.195
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Credits
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Producing Organization: BirdNote
Writer: Sundstrom, Bob
AAPB Contributor Holdings
BirdNote
Identifier: cpb-aacip-f2e5ed4c279 (Filename)
Format: Zip drive
Generation: Master
Duration: 00:01:45
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Citations
Chicago: “BirdNote; Ducks That Whistle,” 2021-10-06, BirdNote, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed July 16, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-ebefbb7c502.
MLA: “BirdNote; Ducks That Whistle.” 2021-10-06. BirdNote, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. July 16, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-ebefbb7c502>.
APA: BirdNote; Ducks That Whistle. Boston, MA: BirdNote, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-ebefbb7c502