Birds do a variety of behaviors to keep warm, avoid predators, mate, and find food. In my observations, I watched the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, or Dendrocygna autumnalis. This bird is a type of waterfowl native to parts of Mexico and South America, although they can be seen in the southern United States during the summer (“Black-bellied Whistling-Duck”). The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is brown with a grey head and a black underbelly. Its feet and beak are pink. The Whistling Duck gets its name from the whistling noise it makes. I observed flock of these birds at around 4:30 pm on a rainy cold day in Herman Park. The temperature outside was about 40°F, and the rain was very light.

The flock of ducks I observed numbered about ten, and they were walking along the path by the large pond in Herman Park. The behavior I thought was interesting happened a few times during my time observing these ducks. First, a duck would get a little taller in stance, and hold its wings out to the side. Then it would flap its wings, put them down, and ruffle its feathers a little as its wings shifted back into place. I took the picture below while observing the initial states of this behavior. You can see the raised wings of the Whistling Duck right before it folds them in and ruffles its feathers.

Black-bellied whistling ducks. Photo by Clare Randolph.

This behavior could have a lot of explanations. (more…)