These field notes read: "Large long-necked, long-legged tree-duck; size & shape of adjacent Fulvous Wh-Ducks. Most conspicuous at this distance (500 yards?) were the large white upper surfaces to the wings, as the bird stretched, flapped & preened. Through 20X scope, the bird appeared dark brown above, light tan on the underside of neck & face, and black belly & underwings. Bill was pink, feet an orange-pink. Rump was dark, as was the tail. The white patches on the wings seem to cover all the coverts area -- primaries & secondaries were dark.    Viewing for 30 min. through scope & binos — easily picked out as it sat on dike. Flew once. Nothing else resembles it."

The BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK is a very rare post-breeding straggler from Mexico to southeastern California. Vagrants are invariably found with groups of Fulvous Whistling-Duck. About a dozen records are from summer (late May through Aug) but there are vagrants from late fall and one record in April. This has become increasingly scarce in recent years as wild populations decline. This handsome duck is kept in captivity and reports away from southeastern California have also proved to be escapees.

All of my California records are listed below. Those preceded by H were found or co-found by me personally; those preceded by K receive some partial credit (e.g., I was involved in sorting out i.d. of a previously discovered bird or refound a vagrant that had been thought to have left). My notes in the 1970s do not always sort out credit issues so it is possible additional birds might have been "self-found."

These are my personal BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK records:

20 Oct 1973    Wister Unit, Salton Sea NWR, IMP    2 birds; I chased these with Van Remsen, Joe Morlan, Bill Principe, and Jolee Delew; Van took photos
11 Aug 1977    Brawley IMP    I chased this bird with P. Lehman, L. Bevier, and J. Dunn; details in my notes

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