American Black Duck vs Black Scoter
Anas rubripes compared with Melanitta americana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Black Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Melanitta americana |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1046.1 g (36.90 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for molluscs, particularly mussels and clams, in coastal waters. Takes aquatic insects and plant … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 5-11 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Black Scoter 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.
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.
Black Scoter
Male produces a low, melodious whistle; female gives a harsh, grating call. Closely related to Common Scoter; voice very similar; heard on North American Pacific and Atlantic coasts in winter.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Black Scoter
Breeds in boreal forests and tundra of Alaska and northern Canada. Winters along Pacific and Atlantic coasts south to Baja California and Florida.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Black Scoter
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 …
Black Scoter
Male is pure glossy black throughout with a prominent bright orange-yellow knob at bill base. Female is dark sooty-brown with pale buff cheeks and foreneck contrasting with darker cap and …
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.
Black Scoter
A medium-sized sea duck (~1 kg) in family Anatidae, males entirely black with a bold orange-yellow knob at the bill base. Breeds on boreal and tundra lakes of North America and eastern Russia; winters coastally. Dives for mollusks and crustaceans. Near Threatened following population declines linked to habitat loss on breeding grounds.