A man named Jomon in Kollam, Kerala was in for a huge surprise after he stepped out of his home to check for the root of the commotion above his house. While he expected it to be a murder of crows, it turned out to be a rare sight of a bird and her six chicks that were attracted towards his house because of the greenery. The bird has been identified as Fulvous Whistling Duck.
The Fulvous Duck is a species of whistling duck that is commonly found in Mexico, South America, the West Indies, sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent as well. They are generally reddish brown and have long legs and a grey bill. However, what sets them apart is that it has a whistling call which is made when it flies or lands on the ground.
Jomon, who was previously in Kuwait has now settled down in Kollam. He works in landscaping the hometown and as a part of his project, he has renovated his house and filled it with numerous plants. There is also a small pond. His beautiful house filled with plants often attracts various birds including sparrows to nest and lay eggs. This time, his surprise visitor was Fulvous Whistling Duck with a brownish body, long grey beaks and six chicks with grey and white speckles. The family visited him in the morning and stayed there till evening. At night, the duck left her ducklings in care of the human, who remained safe in the indoor pond. The duck returned the next morning.
Generally, these birds are seen in groups of fifteen. Their preferred habitats are marshes, wetlands like paddy fields and lakes and ponds. They build their nest in dense vegetation or a tree hole.
Fulvous Whistling Ducks love to eat rice grains, aquatic plants, snails, worms, frogs and fishes.
Generally, they lay between eight to 12 eggs and the parents take turns in incubating. The main challenge these birds face is the removal of wetland areas which has caused a significant dip in their population. Hunting such ducks is illegal in the country.
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