American Black Duck vs Muscovy Duck
Anas rubripes compared with Cairina moschata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Muscovy Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Cairina moschata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 69.0 cm (27.2 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 2140.0 g (75.49 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 8-15 |
| 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.
Muscovy Duck
Tropical and subtropical lowland forest near rivers, lakes, mangroves, and wetlands from Mexico through Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Common near forest-edge water. Feral populations worldwide.
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.
Muscovy Duck
Males are nearly silent; females give a raspy, low 'grrrr' hiss when threatened. Domesticated birds familiar worldwide but wild birds are surprisingly quiet and secretive.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Muscovy Duck
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 …
Muscovy Duck
Glossy black plumage with large white wing patches. Bare red facial skin with warty caruncles, more extensive in males. Males larger; females less knobby-faced. Dark bill. Domestic forms vary widely …
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.
Muscovy Duck
A large powerfully built duck with black-and-white plumage, bare red caruncles on the face of males, and strong claws for perching in trees. Native from Mexico to Peru and Uruguay. Widely domesticated worldwide; feral populations on every continent. The ancestor of domestic Muscovy ducks.