Abstract
Scientific name!'. usually describe the animal the) are attached to a:-. can be seen in the case of the Fulvous Tree Duck. Dendrocygna i!'. a combination of Greek and Latin words meaning tree and swan. Bicolor is Latin and. of course. means two colors. Latin helvas means the color of honey. Thus you have a swan-like critter of two colors (one of which is honey-like) that has some relationship to trees. Well ... that is a pretty close description.
The Fulvous Tree Duck is a large sized, long-legged. long-necked duck of a deep yellow or tawny color. Natives of Mexico cal I it .. pato silvon" which means whistling duck. These ducks have an amazingly large range. They can be found in Arizona. Texas. Louisiana. Northern Mexico. South America. India and East Africa. The distribution of this duck is remarkable since it is not a migratory bird in the true sense. It moves about a little as food resources change. Throughout all this range there is no local or geographical variation in the duck's plumage. They are the same everywhere with, of course, some slight variations on the individual level.
The term tree duck as applied to this -pccics is a misnomer. as it is neither a tree perchcr or a tree nester. Rarely it will nest in a hole in a hollow tree but ib usual nesting site is in the grass near the edge of a pond or swamp. Twelve to fifteen eggs form the usual clutch but sometimes in the w i Id larger nests are found - due probably to more than one female laying in the same nest. It is well known that man) individuals of this species are careless about laying their eggs in another· s nest.
In the wild. Fulvous Tree Ducks are difficult to find since they inhabit dense thickets of marshy ponds and if surprised will often stand rigidly with their long necks up-stretched. In this pose they may be easily mistaken for the standing stalks of surrounding vegetation.
Once the bird is spotted. however. it is easily approached. If one comes too close the duck will duck into the tall grass or nearest thicket. or they will dive into the water and when they rise to breathe they surface only their head and that concealed among the water plants. Most predators soon abandon the pursuit.
In captivity Fulvous Tree Ducks are hardy and breed readily. They are aggressive toward other. smaller ducks during the breeding season. Here in Southern California I have kept and bred this duck for many years. At times I let the parents raise the young and vornetirnes I'll gather the eggs and put them in the incubator. The young ducklings are easy to raise in a brooder.