14 Nebraskaland • July 2025
The black-bellied whistling-duck is undergoing a dramatic population increase and range expansion. TOBIN BROWN
Population sizes and geographic ranges of animals are
rarely static. While some changes may occur at time scales
imperceptible to most people, other species' populations and
ranges undergo rapid change often associated with recent
human activities. Sometimes that may cause a species to
disappear from a place like Nebraska, but other times it
results in a new species moving in.
The black-bellied whistling-duck is one species undergoing
a dramatic population increase and range expansion. This
striking member of the waterfowl clan, with its black and
chestnut plumage and nifty orange-pink bill, was historically
restricted to the very southern tip of Texas in the U.S. through
most of the 20th century. It was not until the 1970s that the
species began to push north aided somewhat by nest boxes,
which the species readily uses, as well as releases of captive-
reared birds in states like Louisiana.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, as the core population continued
to thrive, individuals and small groups ventured far to the north
of Texas. Nebraska garnered its fi rst record of this dapper bird
in 1989 when a hunter harvested one in Clay County. It would
be another 10 years before Nebraska would claim its second
record, but it would again come from Clay County.
Since 2000, the whistling-duck occurrence in the state
has steadily increased. Presently, it remains a rare fi nd
but it now occurs annually during warmer months. The
fi rst records involved singles or pairs, but now fl ocks in the
double digits are being seen. In 2019, a pair with ducklings
was observed at Funk Waterfowl Production Area in Phelps
County and since then three more nesting records have been
documented. Interestingly, all breeding records have been in
August and September, which is much later than the typical
nesting season of most bird species, including waterfowl.
It seems nearly certain that black-bellied whistling-ducks
will continue to increase in Nebraska as the years go on.
Breeding now occurs annually in Kansas, and it seems logical
that regular nesting is in Nebraska's future. These beauties
are readily at home at ponds in parks and near human activity,
so do not be surprised if this summer you come across this
new member of the Nebraska breeding bird roster.
Joel Jorgensen is the nongame bird program manager for the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
By Joel Jorgensen
WHISTLING-DUCKS PUSH NORTH
IN THE FIELD
