American Black Duck vs Barrow's Goldeneye
Anas rubripes compared with Bucephala islandica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Barrow's Goldeneye |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Bucephala islandica |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 44.3 cm (17.4 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 838.0 g (29.56 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Dives for crustaceans, aquatic insects, and molluscs in mountain lakes and coastal bays. Diet similar … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 6-14 |
| 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.
Barrow's Goldeneye
Male produces a whistled, nasal kaow-kaow call; female gives a harsh quacking series. The male's wheezy, double call differs from Common Goldeneye; heard on western North American lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Barrow's Goldeneye
Breeds in Iceland, western Canada, and locally the western United States. Winters on coasts and lakes of the Pacific Northwest and eastern Canada.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Barrow's Goldeneye
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 …
Barrow's Goldeneye
Male has iridescent purple-black head with crescent-shaped white facial patch; white body with black scapulars bearing bold white spots. Female grey with brown head, white collar; head rounder than Common …
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.
Barrow's Goldeneye
A medium-sized cavity-nesting duck (~840 g) in family Anatidae, males with purple-glossed heads and a crescent-shaped white face patch. Breeds near mountain lakes in western North America and Iceland; winters on coastal bays. Dives for invertebrates and small fish. Least Concern; dependent on large tree cavities for nesting.