If the duck you are trying to identify seems unusually tall and has bright pink legs, there is a good chance it is a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.

These striking waterfowl are now year-round residents across peninsular Florida and can turn up around neighborhood ponds, wetlands, golf-course water features and agricultural areas.

The legs and bill are the fastest clues. Adults have long pink legs, a red to pinkish-red bill, a warm chestnut body, a black belly and a grayish head with a pale eye-ring.

When they fly, a broad white wing patch becomes especially obvious.

They also sound different from a typical quacking duck.

Listen for whistles. Flocks can be noisy, and their high-pitched calls may be heard before the birds come into view.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are comfortable perching in trees and often use natural tree cavities for nesting, although they will also use nest boxes and sometimes nest on the ground.

They are social birds and frequently gather in groups near shallow wetlands and feeding areas.

FWC says the species has become a year-round resident throughout peninsular Florida as its range has expanded.

That means the “pink-footed duck” around a Southwest Florida pond may not be a seasonal visitor at all.

The easy identification: long pink legs, red bill, chestnut body, black belly and a flashing white wing patch point strongly to a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.