WEST INDIAN WHISTLING DUCK
Latin: Dendron=a tree. Cygna= a swan arborea=tree habitat
This 20 inch uncommon resident, the West Indian Whistling Duck is a long-necked brown duck with a dark streak from the top of the head down the neck. It is found in mangroves and near ponds perching high in trees. A famous locality is on Guana Island off the northeastern shore of Antigua.
This bird is largely nocturnal, often seen flying over swamps at dusk. It feeds on the fruit of palms and it is rarely seen swimming on water. The Whistling Duck utters a shrill whistled visisee. It commonly nests amongst water plants in the ground or in a cavity of a tree or in a cluster of bromeliads high above the ground. It lays about10 milky white eggs and incubates in a month.
Special thanks to the late Desmond Nicholson of the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda and Peter Duce for making this section of Antigua Nice Ltd possible!
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