Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck has surged: up 15× on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) is a North American member of the Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl (Anatidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the waterfowl.
- Size
- 12–43.5 in long (30–110 cm) — a medium to large waterfowl (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and sheltered coastal waters.
- Diet
- Aquatic plants, seeds and invertebrates, dabbled at the surface or dived for.
- Range
- Recorded on 267 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 14 states, most concentrated in the Peninsular Florida.
- Family
- Anatidae · Waterfowl
Notable Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Trends
No notable trend signals for Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. See the full index history below.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is projected to fall about 20% by 2029 — from 0.43 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.35 (95% range 0.21–0.49). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.6%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.33 | 0.18 | 0.47 |
| 2026 | 0.33 | 0.19 | 0.47 |
| 2027 | 0.34 | 0.20 | 0.48 |
| 2028 | 0.34 | 0.20 | 0.48 |
| 2029 | 0.35 | 0.21 | 0.49 |
Where the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Is Detected
BBS routes recording Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, sized by most recent count.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Population Trend by State
| Alabama | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Arizona | -54% | 1988 | 4 |
| Arkansas | +137% | 2009 | 10 |
| Florida | 105× | 1995 | 61 |
| Georgia | +143% | 2014 | 14 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Louisiana | 45× | 2003 | 41 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 11 |
| Missouri | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | +602% | 1969 | 111 |
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Edwards Plateau | -15% | 1994 | 9 |
| Oaks and Prairies | 13× | 1973 | 36 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | +274% | 2010 | 20 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | 20× | 2008 | 32 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +564% | 2013 | 40 |
| Peninsular Florida | 92× | 1995 | 50 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -50% | 1989 | 3 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +217% | 1969 | 28 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | 19× | 1969 | 40 |
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 1358% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.