Children, stay together!

A Lesser Whistling Duck family is on an excursion

“Huey, Dewey, Louie, Daisy, Bismarck… stay close to your mum and me. You can wander off when you are older and when the white feathers on your head have turned dark like mine. Our species has survived and thrived by being smart about these things. In fact, we are doing so well and staying so far from the threatened species list, that the list is a dot to us. See how your mum and I look alike with chestnut-brown feathers? See how nobody, not even people, want to eat us? See how we make nests high up in tree holes? We’ve got the elite survival traits locked down!”

Fun Facts

“Another survival secret is to eat everything and stick together in big flocks. Now, you may not be able to dive deep for food like mum and I do, but that’s ok. For now, just learn to catch whatever floats by. No, not plastic bags Bismarck, I meant fish and frogs. As for molluscs and worms, they are deep down in the lake bed, so leave that to me, I’ll dive and get them for you. Right it’s time to go join the flock. Oh, and Bismarck, none of that quack quack nonsense you pulled last time. Not funny. We’re Whistling Ducks, so whistle for duck’s sake!”

Story of the Photo

Dilum got a picture of this family at one of the lakes inside Wilpattu National Park. The Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Wilpattu has plenty of lakes and ponds around it and these birds are easily seen by visitors to the camp, when out on a casual stroll.