Black-bellied Whistling Duck

27metalman

Senior Member
Been seeing a few of these this spring and finally got a pic with my phone last week. I'm guessing they have a nest, but haven't seen it or any little ones yet. They sure do "chat it up" while I'm fishing.
 

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27metalman

Senior Member
They are on a private tract in Bibb County. I need to take a good camera and get a good pic of them. Yesterday I got within 20 yds of them. I guess they don't see me as a threat... like the coots we have. They've accepted that I'm fishing and I'll soon pass them by.
 

ejm

Senior Member
They seem to be pretty adaptable. We've got a pair nesting in a retention pond at the Georgia Ports Authority, between a main gate and the administration building. The traffic doesn't seem to bother them at all.
 

Core Lokt

Senior Member
First started seeing them about 4 years ago. Just a pair here and there. Now, man, they have exploded in population. This is Jefferson and Leon counties. I've seen them take over WD boxes on the big lake too.

And yes, they are very vocal when in flight.
 

across the river

Senior Member
They have made it up to the fall line and a little above in some numbers, but they are gone at the first sign of cold weather. Typically long gone before duck season starts.
 

GLS

Classic Southern Gentleman
Anyone know whether or not they aggressively compete with wood ducks for nesting cavities? Gil
 

BBond

Senior Member
Anyone know whether or not they aggressively compete with wood ducks for nesting cavities? Gil
From what I’ve seen, they seem to take over every wood duck box they can.


From my discussions in the past with the duck biologists they don't seem to overlap in use of boxes most of the time. Seems wood ducks nest first and then the black bellies nest.
 

CJT

Member
When I worked on the coast with GADNR, we would clean out the duck boxes and by mid-summer there would be upwards of 25-35 eggs in some boxes. BBWD’s are prolific dump-nesters. I do agree though that if the boxes are cleaned out properly from the prior year, the wood ducks will clutch and sometimes double clutch before the BBWD ever even get started.
There are BBWD nest records now as far north as Illinois and Nebraska.
 

Dep6

Senior Member
Seen them 3-4 times now down by Hatchachubbee Creek, might be spelling wrong, on the Chattahoochee.
 

27metalman

Senior Member
Update: No ducklings, so the pair I've been seeing must just be "hanging out" together. LOL. Still see them about every time I go to property. Last Friday went alligator hunting and right at dark seen 25 to 30 more flying by.
 

Raybo1

Senior Member
Saw several on our farm in Randolph county last weekend. Are they legal to shoot in Georgia during duck season?
 

Red Dawg

Member
I started seeing them on Lake Seminole three years ago. They were all over the central part of the lake. Saw them once during the first part of duck season but they disappeared during the split.
 
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