{"id":14670,"date":"2026-06-20T12:36:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/rare-white-faced-whistling-duck-spotted-in-iitas-forest-reserve\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T21:23:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:23:12","slug":"rare-white-faced-whistling-duck-spotted-in-iitas-forest-reserve","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/rare-white-faced-whistling-duck-spotted-in-iitas-forest-reserve\/","title":{"rendered":"Rare white-faced whistling duck spotted in IITA\u2019s forest reserve"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Le <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/\">IITA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/forestcenter.iita.org\/\">Forest Center<\/a> is renowned for utilizing forest resources for conservation, research, education, and advocacy, part of its activities include conducting regular bird surveys to understand the population dynamics, dispersal probability, morphology, ecology, and breeding biology of birds in the IITA Forest Reserve, the environs, and out-station where reforestation projects are carried out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure id=\"attachment_26065\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26065\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26065 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rare-White-faced-Whistling-duck.jpg\" alt=\"Rare White-faced Whistling duck in a flock of normal-colored Whistling ducks.\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26065\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rare White-faced Whistling duck in a flock of normal-colored Whistling ducks.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a recent survey carried out on the grounds of the Ibadan campus of IITA\u2019s headquarters, Forest Center Field Supervisor Ademola Ajayi sighted among a flock of ducks, one with unusual feather coloration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were driving down the John Craig Dam when I spotted a duck with unusual plumage among a flock of 150 White-faced Whistling Ducks, <em>Dendrocygna viduata<\/em>\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On closer inspection, he discovered it was an adult White-faced whistling duck based on its size, shape, head, and neck color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The white feathers covered about 90% of the bird\u2019s body, with only black spots around its tail and hind-neck, and brown spots around its back, indicative of progressive loss of melanin-producing cells due to aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Progressive greying is a common color distinction of aging birds from young ones. However, progressive greying is uncommon among ducks. Ajayi\u2019s observation was the first of its kind for the species. He documented this rare find and presented it for <u>publication<\/u> in the latest edition of the ABC Bulletin. His findings have since been published for documentation and as a resource for future research efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bird monitoring and ornithological activities are a major part of the IITA Forest Center\u2019s conservation activities. The Forest Center continues to contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation efforts through research, implementation, and strategic collaboration to sustain biodiversity and protect the forest with support and funding from donor organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Le <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leventisfoundation.org\/\">A.G. Leventis Foundation<\/a>, one of the donors is providing funding support to the IITA Forest Center\u2019s Bird Monitoring Projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Contributed by: Folake Oduntan<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0The IITA Forest Center is renowned for utilizing forest resources for conservation, research, education, and advocacy, part of its activities include conducting regular bird surveys<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":14671,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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