American Black Duck vs Ross's Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Anser rossii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Ross's Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Anser rossii |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 69.2 cm (27.2 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1513.5 g (53.39 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Eats aquatic plants, seeds, and grasses near wetlands; omnivorous in breeding; takes invertebrates in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 2-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Ross's Goose
Breeds on tundra near Hudson Bay and the central Canadian Arctic. Winters in agricultural fields, rice paddies, and wetlands in the central and southern United States, particularly California's Central Valley.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Ross's Goose
A high, nasal yelping 'whoik' or 'hoik' — higher-pitched than Snow Goose. Flocks mix with Snow Geese; calls differ noticeably by pitch. Fast, repeated notes in flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Ross's Goose
Breeds in high Arctic tundra; winters at sea in the North Atlantic from Iceland to the British Isles and northeastern United States.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Ross's Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
Ross's Goose
Smallest white North American goose; pure white plumage with black wingtips. Short triangular pink bill with warty pinkish-gray base. Pink-red legs. Occasional blue morph. Sexes similar.
About These Birds
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.
Ross's Goose
A small compact white goose with black wingtips, a stubby pink bill with a warty blue-grey base, and a rounded head. One of the smallest North American geese. Breeds in the Canadian Arctic; winters in the southern United States. Population has grown dramatically since the 1960s.