American Black Duck vs Common Pochard
Anas rubripes compared with Aythya ferina
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Common Pochard |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Aythya ferina |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 41.7 cm (16.4 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 845.5 g (29.82 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow water; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 3-22 |
| 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.
Common Pochard
Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes with emergent vegetation across Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe east to Siberia. Winters on large open lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries.
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.
Common Pochard
Male emits a soft, wheezing purr; female gives a harsh, grating quacking series. The male's gentle, sibilant purring contrasts with the female's loud, grating call on European and Asian lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Common Pochard
Breeds across northern and central North America; winters in Mexico, Central America, and along both US coasts.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Common Pochard
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 …
Common Pochard
Males have chestnut-red head and neck; black breast; pale gray body; black undertail. Red eye. Blue-gray bill with dark base and tip. Females brown with pale face and eye-ring. Gray …
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.
Common Pochard
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rich chestnut-red head, black breast, and pale grey body; females are brown with a pale face. Widely distributed across Eurasia. Population declining sharply; Vulnerable on European Red List.