Indian Spot-billed Duck vs American Black Duck
Anas poecilorhyncha compared with Anas rubripes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Spot-billed Duck | American Black Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas poecilorhyncha | Anas rubripes |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 54.4 cm (21.4 in) | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) |
| Weight | 1220.0 g (43.03 oz) | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for fish and aquatic invertebrates in clear cold streams; serrated bill adapted for catching … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 1-17 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Indian Spot-billed Duck only
None
American Black Duck only
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, rice paddies, and tanks across the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. Common near human habitation. Largely sedentary with some local seasonal movement.
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Female gives a loud, emphatic quacking series; male produces a raspy rehb note. Calls are Mallard-like but slightly lower; flocks create a cacophonous quacking chorus on Indian lakes.
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Resident in freshwater lakes and rivers across Southeast Asia, from Myanmar to Indonesia and the Philippines.
American Black Duck
Conservation Status
Indian Spot-billed Duck
American Black Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Large brownish duck with pale face and distinctive yellow-tipped black bill with red basal spot. Dark cap and eye stripe. Iridescent green speculum with white border. White tertials visible at …
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
A large brown dabbling duck with distinctive yellow-tipped black bill, red spot at the bill base, white tertials, and blue-green speculum. Common across South and Southeast Asia. Found in a wide range of freshwater habitats. Largely non-migratory.
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.