How to identify it
Butterscotch-coloured with a gray bill, long neck and white stripes on the flanks. [1][2]
In flight, black underwings and a white crescent above the tail contrast with the buff body. [1][2]
Compared with the black-bellied whistling-duck (young): Audubon says to compare young Black-bellied with Fulvous; Fulvous is uniformly butterscotch with a gray bill and white flank stripes. [1][2]
Compared with the northern pintail (female): Audubon lists female Northern Pintail for comparison; Fulvous has a long neck, white flank stripes and the white rump crescent. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Black-bellied whistling-duck · Dendrocygna autumnalis
- Northern pintail · Anas acuta
Where it lives
Fresh or brackish marshes in flat open country of the coastal plain, flooded rice fields, other agricultural fields, ponds and lakes. [1][2]
How it behaves
Regular migration by some Gulf Coast birds to southern Mexico, overshadowed by widespread wandering; flocks have strayed to at least six Canadian provinces [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations (2026-27)
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Florida — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Florida Migratory Bird Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC)
- Georgia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Season Dates - Migratory Birds (WRD 1-page synopsis, linked from georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info)
- Louisiana — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting Regulations (updated Aug 7, 2026)
- Maine — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maine Migratory Game Bird Quick Reference Guide
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- New Mexico — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds in southern California, southwestern Arizona, central and eastern Texas, Gulf Coast Louisiana and locally southern Florida, south to central Mexico; also breeds in Hawaii (Oahu) and in South America, Africa and India. Spread east along the Gulf Coast from about 1950.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe