American Black Duck vs Greater Scaup
Anas rubripes compared with Aythya marila
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Greater Scaup |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Aythya marila |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 984.0 g (34.71 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts between invertebrate … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 4-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
None
Greater Scaup only
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.
Greater Scaup
Breeds on tundra and boreal lakes in the Arctic and subarctic across Eurasia and North America. Winters in large numbers on coastal bays, estuaries, and large lakes in temperate regions.
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.
Greater Scaup
Male gives a low, purring wheeze; female produces a harsh, rolling quacking sequence. Calls are very similar to Lesser Scaup but slightly lower-pitched; heard on open ocean bays in winter.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Greater Scaup
Breeds in the high Arctic of North America; winters offshore on the Atlantic coast from Labrador to South Carolina.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
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 …
Greater Scaup
Males have glossy green-black rounded head; white flanks and belly; black breast and undertail; gray back. Yellow eye. Bill blue-gray. Females dark brown with white face patch around bill. Longer …
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.
Greater Scaup
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rounded glossy green-tinged head, white flanks, and black breast; females are brown with white around the bill. Similar to Lesser Scaup but told apart by head shape and nail width. Found on large open water bodies.