American Black Duck vs Cackling Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Branta hutchinsii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Cackling Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Branta hutchinsii |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 79.3 cm (31.2 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1801.8 g (63.56 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Grazes aquatic vegetation and sedges in Northern Hemisphere wetlands; migratory; winter diet of eelgrass and … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 3-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Cackling Goose 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.
Cackling Goose
Breeds on low-lying Arctic and subarctic tundra. Winters on grasslands, agricultural fields, and coastal marshes in the central and western United States. Often found in mixed flocks with Canada Geese.
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.
Cackling Goose
A high-pitched, yelping 'luk-luk' or 'likl-likl' — higher-pitched and smaller-sounding than Canada Goose. Given rapidly in flock flight. Useful identification feature.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Cackling Goose
Breeds in Arctic Canada; winters on the Atlantic coast from New England to Florida, occasionally to the Bahamas and Gulf Coast.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Cackling 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 …
Cackling Goose
Resembles miniature Canada Goose; black head and neck with white chin strap. Brown-gray back; pale underparts. White undertail. Short neck and stubby bill distinguish from Canada Goose. 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.
Cackling Goose
A small version of the Canada Goose with a stubby bill, rounded head, and shorter neck. Long treated as a subspecies; now recognized as a separate species with four subspecies. Migrates from Arctic breeding grounds to wintering areas in the central United States. Gregarious; mixes with Canada Geese in winter.