These protective Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were whistling up a storm and making quite a scene this morning as we strolled along the boardwalk. 
We soon realized what all the commotion was about. . . Mama and her fuzzy little “bumblebee” ducklings were out and about, a time for all the grown-ups to keep a close watch and warn of any intruders.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are charmingly social, noisy birds, found year-round in several Gulf States of the U.S., and throughout much of Central and South America. They are very easily recognizable, with their brightly red-orange legs and beaks, beautiful coloring, and upright sentry-like posture.
And the Black-bellied Whistling ducklings are just too adorable in their yellow and black stripes!
To learn more, see my previous Black-bellied Whistling Duck posts and of course, check out All About Birds, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and the Audubon site!
Birder's Journey 
How adorable these ducklings are! I especially like the photos with their beaks buried in duckweed; their appetites match my own. It’s amazing how precarious their survival is with predators everywhere!
Thanks for sharing!
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You are so right about their survival rate.… Very precarious. Sadly, many (most?) families of 15+ baby ducklings will be reduced to 2 to 4 over the coming weeks.
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Wonderful photos but the first is my favourite. What a wonderful introduction to these ducks!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Belinda! These ducks and their babies are a real favorite sight around here!
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Omg, those babies are adorable! Thanks for the video also.
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We always love to see the baby whistling ducks each year – they are just irresistible.
Haven’t figured out yet how to video record on my newest camera – thanks to my husband for letting me use his video!
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Beautiful pics BJ, I love Whistling Ducks we have Plumbed and Wandering, but your Black-bellied babies take the cake:-)
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Thanks, AB! I never realized how many kinds of whistling ducks there are in other regions of the world till I looked up the ones you have in Australia.
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These are great! Love it!
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They are such fun to watch, and I love the protective stance of the parent watching out for them.
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As photogenic as a bird can be! 📷
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The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are amazingly photogenic, both as baby ducklings and as adults, aren’t they?
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Those little bumble-bee-like ducklings are just adorable!! Thank you for the great video too.
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They really are adorable, I quite agree. I hope they thrive and grow!
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Adorable little ones and that looks like one proud Momma! 🙂
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Absolutely… Proud and very protective.
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A total joy to see the black-bellied whistling ducks BJ! Gorgeous shots, the green duckweed highlights them nicely. Capturing the whistling in the photo was a treat, and then to hear them on the video was excellent. And it goes without saying (though I will) that those ducklings are as cute as it gets!! Many thanks to you and your husband.
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Yes, I thought the vast carpet of duckweed was a great visual background for these little ducklings, in addition to being a real feast for them ! I always love your enthusiasm and your very detailed and thoughtful comments, Jet! I will pass on your remarks to my husband, too.
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