Date: 6/22/26 7:19 am From: Don Morrow <donaldcmorrow...> Subject: Re: [NFLbirds] Odd Duck
I had tried something similar, but found that AI was conflating different
species of whistling ducks and, when I pushed AI to provide specific
references or citations, AI could only reference a captive study in South
America, possibly Brazil, that I could not track down. Using AI, I could
find no scientific paper or even popular press article that referenced
BBWDs eating tree fruit.
Don Morrow
<donaldcmorrow...> <donaldcmorow...>
Tallahassee, FL
On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 9:44 AM Dena Temple <denatemple...> wrote:
> I asked Google AI your question. Here is the reply:
>
> Black-bellied whistling ducks are highly opportunistic omnivores. While
> their staple diet consists of grasses, aquatic vegetation, and grains, they
> also regularly consume available fruits, berries, and even agricultural
> crops.
>
> On Sun, Jun 21, 2026 at 10:05 AM Don Morrow <donaldcmorrow...>
> wrote:
>
>> I was walking along a road at the Alford Greenway, this morning, when I
>> noticed black cherries on the ground and looked up to see if any birds were
>> feeding on the cherries.
>>
>> There was a Black-bellied Whistling Duck sitting in the cherry tree.
>>
>> This tree was on the Northern edge of a large field. Lake Piney Z, where
>> any self-respecting whistling duck would be feeding, was about a quarter
>> mile to the South. The closely related West Indian Whistling Duck eats a
>> lot of tree fruit and I found one reference to BBWDs eating tree fruit in
>> South America, but every other reference that I find has them foraging for
>> seeds in marshes and agricultural fields, which is where I typically see
>> them feeding.
>>
>> I watched this duck for twenty minutes and it did not try to feed on the
>> ripe black cherries. However, I often find that birds are reticent to feed
>> after they have been noticed and I had been twenty feet from this bird when
>> I first noticed it. BBWDs are cavity nesters, but this tree was not big
>> enough for a cavity and it was a long way from the water.
>>
>> Has anybody ever noticed BBWDs eating tree fruits?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
