White-cheeked Pintail vs American Black Duck
Anas bahamensis compared with Anas rubripes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-cheeked Pintail | American Black Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas bahamensis | Anas rubripes |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) |
| Weight | 544.5 g (19.21 oz) | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by hard-shelled … | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … |
| Clutch Size | 5-12 | 1-17 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
White-cheeked Pintail only
None
American Black Duck only
White-cheeked Pintail
Freshwater, brackish, and coastal wetlands across the Caribbean, Galapagos Islands, and South America from Venezuela south to Argentina. Tolerates saline habitats; common in coastal lagoons and estuaries.
American Black Duck
Freshwater and brackish wetlands in eastern North America from Atlantic Canada south along the coast to Georgia. Breeds in northern bogs and wetlands. Winters on coastal marshes, estuaries, and freshwater lakes.
Song & Call Comparison
White-cheeked Pintail
Female gives a descending quacking series; male produces a soft, nasal gak note. Both sexes relatively quiet; calls carry across Caribbean mangroves and Bahamian tidal flats.
American Black Duck
Female produces a loud, deep quacking series; male gives a low, raspy grunt. Voice is deeper and huskier than a Mallard; pairs call powerfully across northeastern North American wetlands.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-cheeked Pintail
Breeds in the subarctic and Arctic Eurasia; winters across temperate lakes and coasts in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
White-cheeked Pintail
American Black Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
White-cheeked Pintail
Brown body mottled with dark spots; white cheeks and throat distinctive. Pointed tail. Red base to gray bill. Iridescent green speculum with buff-white front border. Sexes similar but males have …
American Black Duck
Sooty dark brown body; head and neck paler buff with dark streaking. Iridescent purple speculum without white border. Males have yellow-green bill; females olive with orange blotches. Silvery underwings in …
About These Birds
White-cheeked Pintail
A slender duck with white cheeks and throat contrasting with brown body, a red-based grey bill, and distinctive red-sided tail. Found from the Caribbean south through South America. Also known as the Bahama Pintail. Common on Caribbean islands. Three subspecies recognized.
American Black Duck
A large dark brown dabbling duck closely resembling a very dark female Mallard, with purple speculum, yellowish-olive bill in males, and orange legs. Common in eastern North America. Hybridizes freely with Mallard; pure populations declining in the interior.