Muscovy Duck vs Black-headed Duck

Cairina moschata مقارنةً بـ Heteronetta atricapilla

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Muscovy Duck Black-headed Duck
الاسم العلمي Cairina moschata Heteronetta atricapilla
الرتبة Anseriformes Anseriformes
الفصيلة Anatidae Anatidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 69,0 cm (27.2 in) 34,7 cm (13.7 in)
الوزن 2140,0 g (75.49 oz) 528,5 g (18.64 oz)
النظام الغذائي Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in wetlands; omnivorous diet shifts with season and … Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet …
عدد البيض في الوضع 8-15 2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

Muscovy Duck only

Black-headed Duck only

Muscovy Duck

Tropical and subtropical lowland forest near rivers, lakes, mangroves, and wetlands from Mexico through Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Common near forest-edge water. Feral populations worldwide.

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Song & Call Comparison

Muscovy Duck

الغناء

Males are nearly silent; females give a raspy, low 'grrrr' hiss when threatened. Domesticated birds familiar worldwide but wild birds are surprisingly quiet and secretive.

Black-headed Duck

الغناء

Male gives a soft, raspy peeping note; female produces a muted quack. An obligate brood parasite with reduced vocalizations; subdued calls suit its secretive lifestyle among Argentine reeds.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Muscovy Duck

Breeds across northern Eurasia from Scandinavia east to the Russian Far East; winters in the tropical Old World.

Black-headed Duck

Resident in southern South America from southern Brazil and Bolivia south to Argentina and Chile. Found on lakes and marshes in open lowlands.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Muscovy Duck

Least Concern

Black-headed Duck

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How to Tell Them Apart

Muscovy Duck

الريش

Glossy black plumage with large white wing patches. Bare red facial skin with warty caruncles, more extensive in males. Males larger; females less knobby-faced. Dark bill. Domestic forms vary widely …

Black-headed Duck

الريش

Male has distinctive jet-black head and neck, warm chestnut-brown back, and pale buff underparts; blue-grey bill with red base. Female is streaked brown above with pale supercilium and whitish underparts.

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About These Birds

Muscovy Duck

A large powerfully built duck with black-and-white plumage, bare red caruncles on the face of males, and strong claws for perching in trees. Native from Mexico to Peru and Uruguay. Widely domesticated worldwide; feral populations on every continent. The ancestor of domestic Muscovy ducks.

Black-headed Duck

A small diving duck (~530 g) of South America, family Anatidae, and the sole member of genus Heteronetta. Inhabits freshwater marshes and lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Unique among waterfowl as an obligate brood parasite, laying eggs in nests of coots and other waterbirds. Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.

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