Nesting and Young
Black-bellied whistling-ducks are monogamous and mate for life. They nest in marshes, wetlands, open forests and the edges of ponds and streams. They nest in tree cavities and will use nest boxes. They also nest on the ground in reeds and grasses if there are no predators present in the habitat. They nest near water, but it’s not essential that the nest be located in, or above, water. The male and female both participate in picking out the nest site.
Once the clutch is complete, and all the eggs have been laid, about 9-18 in total, incubation by both parents begins. This is unusual for waterfowl because the males of this family do not generally incubate eggs. Incubation lasts for 25 – 30 days. The eggs hatch over several days and the ducklings stay in the nest for up to a day before they all leave the nest together, with coaxing by the soft calls of their parents. Once the brood leave the nest and are all accounted for, the family moves off to a water source, if not already in one, to forage for food.
Ducklings are precocial which means they can stand, walk, and feed themselves, soon after hatching. Even though they are precocial they still stay with their parents for up to six months. The ducklings are black and yellow striped which provides them with good camouflage as they grow and learn to be ducks. They eat seeds, aquatic plants, invertebrates, spiders, and insects in and around the water moving through the area with their parents. Black-bellied whistling-ducks stay together as a family unit for about six months.