American Black Duck vs Barnacle Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Branta leucopsis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Barnacle Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Branta leucopsis |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 76.4 cm (30.1 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1685.0 g (59.44 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Large white swan grazing aquatic plants and grasses; upends for submerged vegetation; supplements diet with … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 2-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Barnacle 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.
Barnacle Goose
Breeds on inaccessible Arctic cliff ledges in Greenland, Svalbard, and Novaya Zemlya. Winters on coastal saltmarshes, pastures, and estuaries in northwestern Europe, particularly Scotland and Ireland.
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.
Barnacle Goose
A rapid, high-pitched barking 'uk-uk-uk' given rapidly in flocks. Higher-pitched and more rapid than Canada Goose. Migrating flocks create a constant excited barking chorus.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Barnacle Goose
Breeds in Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada; winters on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States and northern Mexico.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Barnacle 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 …
Barnacle Goose
Striking black, white and gray pattern. White face and forehead; black crown, neck, and upper breast. Gray back with black and white barring. White underparts. Black tail. Sexes similar; elegant …
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.
Barnacle Goose
A medium-sized cleanly patterned goose with a white face, black crown, neck, and breast, grey barred back, and white belly. Breeds in the high Arctic; winters in northwestern Europe. Famous in medieval times as the subject of the legend that it hatched from barnacles.