Black Bellied Whistling Duck in Florida
Black bellied whistling ducks are the only whistling duck in Florida, and they must be re-introduced to their true home in the Florida Keys. This happened by the grace of a wandering clam diver. The clam diver rescued a wounded duckling in 1999 and, as an adoptive owner, it was brought back home.
A year later that year another one arrived. Now there have been seven black bellied whistling ducks born in south Florida, each of whom is now free ranging with the help of friends and volunteers. In addition, two young boobies were recently released from captivity (the first were a little over six years old) and will soon be flying around our neck, too.
With all this being said, how can we possibly expect to return the birds back permanently? Thankfully for us, thanks to Bill Ripperton, who has spent decades studying the habits of these beautiful creatures, who also happens to live very close to South Florida and know everything about them. His website, called the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), lists 15 ways to reintroduce these wonderful creatures, including releasing baby birdlings from incubators and using sound to attract the birds.
One thing you should consider doing (perhaps in conjunction with other groups like the Audubon Society or the National Geographic Society) is to visit the Florida Department of Natural Resource's Wildlife Restoration Section to look at your local wildlife rehabilitation efforts and see if any can be linked together with that of a Florida native species, such as what was done back in the late 1970s and early 1990s with the state's red drum of wild turkeys and golden eagles, or even do some digging with regards to sightings on black bellied whistling ducks in south Florida.
If all else fails, take a stroll through the Miami Landscape and Bird Management District (MLBMD) where such encounters have occurred. I believe those areas boast more than 200 species of migratory birds, so not to worry if no one sees the birds.
These birds would, however, be able to find food if given a chance. It would probably be prudent for people to start driving down to inspect the land and make sure there are the plants they need. As long as we don't disturb the peace in doing so, we should be able to bring the animals back right away.
To give the birds a new lease of life, perhaps you could use a camera and record any images or video of the birds while they fly between your house and their new home (some sort of radio transmitter or satellite dish).
You could add more camera lenses and send a signal that you're following the flock. It doesn't have to be fancy but, if anyone does see the birds flying in an airplane, he'll probably get scared and run away quickly! Maybe that person who is worried enough can talk the fellow passengers into letting him fly with them.
Then, when they arrive back on track, perhaps people would stand outside until they've landed safely! That way, we'll always have the opportunity to photograph the birds from behind. Such things could also be done via cell phones. People might say no to such measures, except maybe when hunting and fishing season starts in the fall.
Either way, getting ready to take care of the birds and having someone take pictures and videos of the birds will help ease the fears of others and will ultimately benefit our conservation efforts. Those kinds of situations are not to be taken lightly by most people. Our best hope for success here will be the cooperation of all involved. So, what can we do to help accomplish that? We can simply start by donating money—it would be great and meaningful.
There are programs like Feeding America, which helps feed hungry people when you buy groceries, so why not contribute there to help save some birds from the jaws of death? Donations are accepted throughout the month of November. All donations are made during their lifecycle through Feeding America; no matter how long ago the bird was born.
At least two young boobies were released from captivity last year, and they are enjoying an excellent time. One is a 6 year old booby that is now in its second life. Although she has never met her former owner she's making good progress toward developing a voice of her own. Her husband calls her "Spy Boy." She will travel with her family in September and will begin sharing stories with me for the next few weeks. The bird is now free to fly around in the Florida Keys.
Remember, before heading to the Florida Keys you should leave your cell phone battery low enough so that your phone won't pager her until you return. If you notice her doing something special, ask her by email or call. And she'll always respond with an image and video of herself! Just click one of the links in my bio to follow her!
I'm impressed with all that Bill Ripperton is doing in terms of rescuing these beautiful creatures. Perhaps I should tell his wife who has helped me many times while carrying out research on him. They just became owners of four peacocks, with five more on the way! What a treat! As they write the story of finding the birds, apparently the birds eat grass and clamshell crabs in spring, then fly over winter to a tree near water that looks like this:
There is much work left to do to keep black bellied whistling ducks in the Florida Keys. But, as long as we're willing to support them and give them an environment where they can live, these birds can continue to serve our purposes here in south Florida and elsewhere.
As they move through the population, they should keep their numbers down: in fact, we should conserve their numbers. Not only are the birds threatened by predation, they also face opposition from those who claim that they are "aggressively" migrating away. Given that they don't live at large this phenomenon is almost always completely ignored.
But, this year is especially tricky because our climate is changing and warming. For that reason and many others, it's important that we protect these birds and not allow them to be hunted off their breeding grounds.