BLACK BILLED TREE DUCK 



DENDROCYGNA ARBOREA (Linne) 

 (Plate 14) 



Synonymy 

 Anas arborea Linne, Systema Natural, ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 128, 1758. 

 Dendrocygna arborea Swainson, Class. Birds, vol. 2, p. 365, 1837. 

 Dendrocycna arborea Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 509. 



Vernacular Names 

 English: Spanish: 



Black-billed 

 Antillean 

 West Indian 



French: 



Siffleur de la Jamaique 

 Siffleur a bee noir 



German: 



Kubanische Baumente 



Whistling or Tree 

 Duck 



Pijije 



Pishishi 



Yaguara — 



Yaguaza ) 



Chiriria i 



Iguasa — (Hayti) 



Llagwasa — (Isle of Pines) 



(Cuba) 

 - (Porto Rico) 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: Anterior part of crown brown; posterior, black, continuing as a black band down back 

 of neck. Sides of head gray, chin and throat white. Around the lower neck is a region of white feathers 

 edged with black, producing a collar effect. Mantle and scapulars dark brown, edged with lighter 

 brown. Wings dark brown except for a grayer area on the outer coverts and primaries, which form a 

 poorly developed speculum. Breast tawny brown, merging lower down into an area which is nearly 

 white, broadly spotted and barred with black. Abdomen nearly white. Flank feathers broadly mar- 

 gined, barred or spotted with black. Tail black, under tail-coverts white with large black spots. 



Bill lead gray to black. Legs lead color, webs lighter. Iris brown. 



Wing 226-265 mm.; bill 47-53; tarsus 66-72. 



Adult Female: Slightly smaller. 

 Immature: No specimens at hand. 



Young in Down: Silvery white on the under side and black with white spots on the upper side. A 

 darkish gray spot on the fore-neck. The black of the back continues over the hind neck and almost to 

 the base of the bill, being separated from it by a white line, which widens on each side and runs over 

 the eyes. The black zone on the occiput and hind neck is interrupted by a white band, which begins 

 at the base of the bill on each side and runs under the eyes and around the head. This circular mark- 

 ing seems to be characteristic of the young in down of the genus Dendrocygna. Under this white 

 circular line the black of the hind neck sends a black line forward on each side of the head. Legs and 



