Fulvous Whistling Duck

The fulvous whistling duck is a long-legged duck, 45–53cm long with a wingspan of 85–93cm and a weight of 712–1,050g. It is rich buff on the head, neck and breast with a darker back, buff-tipped mantle feathers, whitish stripes on the flanks, a long grey bill and grey legs, and a dark stripe running down the back of the neck. In flight the wings are plain brown above and black below, and a white crescent on the rump contrasts with the black tail. It whistles both in flight and on the ground (Wikipedia, general species account).

Its range spans four continents, with the Indian subcontinent as its Asian stronghold, and Asian birds are highly nomadic, following the rains. It favours well-vegetated wetlands including shallow lakes and paddy fields, feeds mainly by upending, and seldom perches in trees. Pairs mate for life, nest in dense vegetation or a tree hole, and take turns to incubate about ten eggs for 24–29 days. In India it is resident with a moderate range; SoIB 2023 finds its trends uncertain and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).