More Black-Bellied Whistling Duck Information
The recent irruption of BBWDs into the mid-Atlantic has started a lot of conversation among area birders. One such birder, Paul O'Brien, recently posted a consisce summary of BBWD range expansion trends in recent years to MDOsprey. I don't have anything to add to Mr. O'Brien's post, so I'll let him do the talking.
"For those interested in the documentation of BBWD vagrancy and range
expansion, the following represents the vagrancy pattern of the past few years and is
current as of today, 6/13/06. They have bred (and may still be breeding) as
far north as South Carolina and may be in the process of colonizing Georgia as
well. Recent incursions have not been confined to the eastern seaboard, but
have included a major push up the center of the country as well.
This year's push up the east coast occurred right around the end of May and
early June, with a strong southerly wind following over a week of northerlies.
The locations where they were found in GA, VA, MD and PA plot as an almost
perfect straight line, whatever that means. Some might call it the escape
route. On that note, I asked Greg Lasley whether he had any information
regarding the possibility of a sexual dimorphism in the size of BBWD hind toe nails.
Like any normal person, he had never thought about hind toe nails, so we
need to get museum specimens to follow up on this trivia question. At least we
seem to have some evidence that the toes weren't clipped. Maybe Poppy chewed
its nails. Enough.
Expansion of the Range of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks (BBWD)
The following analysis is derived from reports submitted to North American
Birds for the March through July periods in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. These
reports are for the most part from different locations, including multiple
reports from the same state.
2002
In Florida BBWD was said to be increasing with 6 new counties listed; In
Louisiana they were said to be commonplace. Other states reporting BBWD were:
NY, 1 on 5/8
SC, 22 on 6/5
TN, 5 on 6/5, 2 from 6/16-24
IN 1 from 6/30-7/10
OK, 2 on 6/25, 3 on 6/25 and 11 from June through July
WI, 1 on 7/25-26
Later VA had 5 on 8/10.
2003
Reports increased dramatically:
FL, 10 on 3/21, 42 on 3/24, 1 from 5//3-14, 12 on 5/17, 116 on 5/21, 12 on
5/23, 4 from 5/28-30, 4 from 6/11 on, 1 on 6/12, 1 on 6/13, 1 on 7/26 and 2 from
6/30-7/1
MS, 3 on 4/8
LA, 1 on 6/11 and 2 on 7/26
OK, 7 on 4/24, 1 on 6/5 and 15, 1 from 7/11-13 and 19 on 7/22
MO, 2 from 4/26-7/30, 2 on 7/30
GA, 1 from 5/10-11, 23 on 5/23, 5 on 5/31, 9 on 7/27
TN, 11 from 5/11-6/10, 2 on 5/31 and 3-5 from 6/7-10
SC, 15 on 6/5, "flock" on 6/13 and 1-2 from 7/28-8/22
NC, 2 on 6/10
VA, 6 from 6/2-3
PQ, 5 from 7/4-31+
2004
In Florida and Louisiana the population growth was described as "explosive".
LA, 6 on 6/3 (4 juveniles), 1 on 6/12, 4 in late June, 2 on 6/21, 2 on 7/2, 2
on 7/7 and 2 on 7/14
MS, 5 on 7/17
AR, 1 from 4/25-26, 2 on 5/30
OK, 33 from 4/27 on, 6 in June and July and 2 on 7/2
KS, 2 on 5/15
SC, 12 on 5/27, flocks of 22, 12 and 150 June through July. The 150 were on
private property and were said to be breeding.
NC, 5 on 5/17 and 8 from 6/14-7/9
PQ, 2 from 5/15-6/12
2005
Many fewer reports for this year, but covering a broad expanse of the
midlands:
AR, 50 on 5/2
MO, 6 on 5/11
IA, 3-4 from 4/18-20, 1 from 6/26-7/29
KS, 2 on 7/21
OK, 3 from 6/3-7/1
IN, 6 on 7/14
2006
These reports were derived from internet sources:
AR, 2 on 6/10
OK, 2 on 6/6 and 6/11
GA, 20 on 5/28 at Altamaha WMA, rising to 38 on 6/4. The flock began
fragmenting and by 6/11 there were at least 10 distinct pairs (breeding?).
SC, 2 on 6/11
VA, 15 from 6/9-10
PA, 4 on 6/4 ("there for a few days"), 1 remaining through at least 6/13
MD, 1 from 6/4 to at least 6/12"Thanks to Paul O'Brien for allowing me to reprint his words here. Go see the BBWD before it takes off back to the tropics.
