West Indian whistling-duck

noun

variants or West Indian whistling duck or less commonly West Indian tree duck
: a large, secretive, chiefly brown whistling-duck (Dendrocygna arborea) of the West Indies that is usually active in the evening or early morning
The West Indian whistling-duck … is a Caribbean endemic species that is considered endangered throughout its range.Wendy A. Lee, in The Earliest Inhabitants: The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taíno, 2006
The only duck that breeds in the Cayman Islands is the long-legged West Indian whistling duck … which resembles a goose.Paris Permenter and John Bigley, Adventure Guide to the Cayman Islands, 2008
Rare West Indian tree ducks … and the largest bird sanctuary in the Caribbean attest to our dedication to wildlife preservation.Lionel A. Hurst, in New York Times, 10 May 1989

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of West Indian whistling-duck was in 1911

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Dictionary Entries Near West Indian whistling-duck

Cite this Entry

“West Indian whistling-duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/West%20Indian%20whistling-duck. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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