American Black Duck vs Baer's Pochard

Anas rubripes compared with Aythya baeri

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute American Black Duck Baer's Pochard
Scientific Name Anas rubripes Aythya baeri
Order Anseriformes Anseriformes
Family Anatidae Anatidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Critically Endangered
Length
Wingspan 53.4 cm (21.0 in) 40.4 cm (15.9 in)
Weight 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) 707.25 g (24.95 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1-17 6-13
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

American Black Duck only

Baer's Pochard only

None

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.

Baer's Pochard

Breeds on lakes and rivers in boreal forests of eastern Siberia and northeastern China. Winters on freshwater lakes and wetlands in eastern and southeastern Asia. Critically Endangered; tiny remaining population.

Song & Call Comparison

American Black Duck

Song

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.

Baer's Pochard

Song

Male gives a low, grating wheeze; female produces a harsh quacking series. Calls resemble Tufted Duck but slightly softer; among the rarest duck calls in East Asia due to its …

Conservation Status

Least Concern

American Black Duck

Critically Endangered

Baer's Pochard

How to Tell Them Apart

American Black Duck

Plumage

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 …

Baer's Pochard

Plumage

Males have dark glossy greenish-black head; chestnut breast; white flanks and undertail. White eye. Females brown with chestnut breast and pale face patch. White wing stripe in flight. Critically endangered …

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.

Baer's Pochard

A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a glossy green-black head, chestnut breast, and white flanks; females are brown. Critically Endangered; one of the fastest declining ducks in Asia. Breeds in eastern Siberia; winters in eastern China and Southeast Asia. Threatened by hunting.

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