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!Listen to the adult Ducks whistling in the background in the short video clip, above, that my husband took this morning. This hungry little brood barely lifted their faces out of the water today, as they feasted on the blanket of duckweed covering this large pond!
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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