Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna autumnalis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusDendrocygna (Whistling-Ducks)
SpeciesDendrocygna autumnalis (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

15 Verified sightings at Great Smoky Mountains National Park From 2019 to 2026

11,431 Verified sightings across all 72 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

The black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) or black-bellied tree duck, is a whistling duck that before 2000 bred mainly from the southernmost United States to south-central South America. It can be found year-round in much of the United States. It has been recorded in every eastern state and adjacent Canadian province. Since it is one of only two whistling duck species native to North America, it is occasionally just known as the "whistling duck" or "Mexican squealer" in the southern USA.

In 1751 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the black-bellied whistling duck in the fourth volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The red-billed whistling duck". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a live bird kept at the home of Admiral Charles Wager in Chelsea, London. Edwards was told that the bird had come from the West Indies. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the black-bellied whistling duck with the ducks, geese and swans in the genus Anas. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Mergus merganser

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aix sponsa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya valisineria

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Melanitta perspicillata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Cairina moschata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Mareca strepera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spatula discors

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Bucephala albeola

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lophodytes cucullatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
2	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
3	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
4	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
5	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
6	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
7	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
8	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
9	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
10	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
11	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~20%
12	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
13	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
14	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
15	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
16	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
17	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
18	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
20	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
21	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
22	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
23	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
24	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
25	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
26	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
27	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
30	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
31	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
32	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
34	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
36	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
37	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
38	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
40	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
41	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
42	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
43	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
44	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
45	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
46	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
47	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
48	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
49	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
50	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data
51	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
52	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
53	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
54	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
55	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
56	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
57	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
58	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	Insufficient data
59	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
60	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
61	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
62	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
63	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
64	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
65	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
66	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
67	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
68	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
69	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
70	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
71	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
72	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

About the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Recent sightings of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Canada Goose

Mallard

Common Merganser

Wood Duck

Canvasback

Surf Scoter

Muscovy Duck

Gadwall

Ring-necked Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Bufflehead

Hooded Merganser

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found