: 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
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Copy Citation
Share