Re: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

Hi All,

 

With respect to the following thread on Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and the possible source of occurrences of the species in the Northeast: Texas is not the only potential source of long-distance vagrants into the Northeast. Florida also has a large and growing population (see below).

 

I have not looked in detail in North American Birds at the record of occurrences of this species outside its potential source regions , but in a quick examination of several recent spring issues, I see this in NAB 65(3):414, 2011, by Mitra et al. for the Hudson-Delaware Region: "...increasing northward occurrence evident for over a decade." This remark was written in relation to a group of five of these whistling-ducks that were present in May 2011 on both sides of the river border between Orange County, NY, and Sussex Co., NJ.

 

eBird does not show many details, but a "track" of dispersal may be evident through the mid-continent and northeastward. Considering that the Florida population is expanding now, I would not be surprised if that source also may contribute birds northward.

 

Indeed, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are now common and widespread in many parts of Florida, and they continue to expand and increase in abundance within the state. The following is the species account for Florida that will appear in an as yet unpublished book by Greenlaw et al. entitled The Robertson and Woolfenden Annotated List of Florida Birds.

 

Jon

 

Jon S Greenlaw

jgreenlaw@earthlink.net

Tampa, Florida

 

The species account for Florida:

 

1.  BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK  Dendrocygna autumnalis

Uncommon to abundant, somewhat local permanent resident in the peninsula, primarily the cen. portion. First known from six observed near Sarasota, 14 Aug 1943 (Longstreet 1944). The early foothold of this species evidently was achieved by visitors from Mexico to the cen. peninsula. Reported escapes from waterfowl collections such as at Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Co. (Owre 1973) may have had had little or no impact on the population increase (FOC 1993–2012). By the early 1980s, a maximum of 90 individuals wintered on ponds east of Sarasota and presumably dispersed from there widely over the w.-cen. peninsula (Palmer 1991, R&W 1992). Range expansion continues, with the first report northeast to Duval Co., 3–14 May 2003 (FOC, FFN 31:83, 2003) and west to Santa Rosa Co. (26 Jun 2003, FOC, FFN 32:34, 2004) and Escambia Co. (7 May 2011, FOC, FFN 39:142, 2011). Flocks of hundreds now occur in cen. Florida during winter (e.g., 500 near Venice, Sarasota Co., 28 Feb 2000, FOC, FFN 28:129, 2000; 200 wintered near the s. shore of Lake Istokpoga, Highlands Co., 2005–06, G. E. Woolfenden pers. comm. to JSG; and 350 wintered at Dade City, Pasco Co., 2010–11, B. Pranty pers. obs.). The breeding season (mostly broods) is Jun–Oct (Palmer 1991, Bergstrom 1999, FOC 1993–2012).

 

Specimen: UF 45220 (D. a. fulgens; voucher), Brevard Co.: n.l., 24 Jun 2006, salvaged. Published Photograph: (adults with 12 well-grown young; first breeding record), Hardee Co.: CF Industries mine, 8 Sep 1990, J. Sampson (Palmer 1991:80). Photograph: TTRS P519, Sarasota Co., east of Sarasota, winter 1986–87, L. S. Atherton.

 

Jon S Greenlaw (Tampa, Florida)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Smith, Michael

Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 9:35 AM

To: maine-birds@googlegroups.com

Subject: RE: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

 

Is anyone else out there curious what the odds are of BBWD showing in Maine twice and on both occasions it being a group (5 last time, 6 this time – well, now 5).  Does it seem likely this the same group both times and we just missed them last year?

 

===============================
Michael Smith MS GISP
State GIS Manager, Maine Office of GIS
State of Maine, Office of Information Technology
michael.smith _at_ maine.gov 207-215-5530

Board Member, Maine GeoLibrary
Education Chair, Maine GIS Users Group
State Rep, National States Geographic Information Council


State House Station 145
51 Commerce Drive
Augusta, ME 04333-0145
69^o 47' 58.9"W  44^o 21' 54.8"N

From: maine-birds@googlegroups.com [mailto:maine-birds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of rob speirs
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 8:20 PM
To: Maine birds
Subject: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

 

Hello Listservers,

 

You expect them along the lower Rio Grande, in South Texas, but in Maine, WHOA!!!!!  These exotics are rare, rare, rare in Maine. 

If you're able, its worth the trip to the Mount Desert Island (MDI) High School ponds to see these birds.

 

There is plenty of Duckweed to hold them but they make their own schedule and who knows what their travel plans might be. I say, "Get up early, and go....you just might be rewarded with a great state, or life bird. No excuses for Acadia Birding Festival participants and guides. Go get'em

rob speirs cumberland, me

 

 

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