American Black Duck vs Bufflehead
Anas rubripes compared with Bucephala albeola
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Bufflehead |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Bucephala albeola |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 32.2 cm (12.7 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 400.5 g (14.13 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Dives for aquatic insects, crustaceans, and small molluscs in freshwater and coastal habitats. One of … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 5-14 |
| 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.
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.
Bufflehead
Male produces a soft, squeaky whistle; female gives a harsh, nasal quack. The male's thin, reedy whistle is barely audible; pairs exchange quiet contact calls at boreal forest ponds.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Breeds in boreal forest of western and central North America. Winters along both coasts and interior lakes from southern Canada south to Mexico.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
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 …
Bufflehead
Male has iridescent green-purple head with a large triangular white patch from behind eye over crown; body clean white except for black back. Female is dark sooty-brown with a single …
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.
Bufflehead
North America's smallest diving duck (~400 g), family Anatidae, males iridescent purple-green with a large white head patch. Breeds in forested areas near ponds and lakes, nesting in woodpecker cavities; winters on coastal bays and inland waters. Feeds on aquatic invertebrates and small fish. Least Concern with stable populations.