Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor), Gilbert Water Ranch, Maricopa County

Three Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were discovered and photographed by Brendon Grice on 11 June 2008 and the Gilbert Water Ranch.  He reported that they were very wary.  In the bottom picture, the right hand bird is a sleeping male Mallard in partial eclipse plumage. 

Once fairly regular in Arizona, in the last several decades Fulvous Whistling Duck has been much rarer. 

Fulvous Whistling-Duck is an ABC Review Species. 

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under _documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

11 June 2008, photo by Brendon Grice