Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis), Yuma, Yuma County

These Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were found and photographed by Lauren Harter on 14 May 2015

Possibly the first record for Yuma County and the entire lower Colorado River Valley. This species increased across its range and as a vagrant in the 1970s, and California saw a spike in records in the 1990s. Since then, the number of birds crossing the Colorado River has declined (though this sighting was technically in Arizona, it was on the California side of the Colorado River), with the most recent California record from the Central Valley in 2012. Otherwise, the most recent records from California were from the Salton Sea in 2000. In Arizona, the westernmost outpost of this species is at Tres Rios in Maricopa County, although some have made it to the Arlington Valley and recent sightings have indicated wandering individuals this spring. This suggests that the Yuma birds were indeed wild, rather than escaped from captivity.

Distinctive ducks, brown overall with black below, sandy face, bright orange bill and feet.

14 May 2015, photo by Lauren Harter

All photos are copyrighted© by photographer