American Black Duck vs Velvet Scoter
Anas rubripes compared with Melanitta fusca
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Velvet Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Melanitta fusca |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 51.8 cm (20.4 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1635.1666666666667 g (57.68 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for mussels, cockles, and crustaceans in coastal and brackish waters. Freshwater insects taken on … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 7-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
None
Velvet 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.
Velvet Scoter
Male emits a low, melodious whistled note; female produces a guttural, rasping call. The male's soft whistle contrasts with the female's harsh, buzzy alarm call on European coasts.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Velvet Scoter
Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and western Siberia. Winters on coasts of northwestern Europe, the Black Sea, and Caspian Sea.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Velvet 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 …
Velvet Scoter
Male is jet black overall with a small white teardrop below eye and white speculum visible in flight; yellow-sided bill with black knob at base. Female is dark brown with …
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.
Velvet Scoter
A large sea duck (~1.6 kg) of the family Anatidae, males black with a white wing patch and yellow-sided bill. Breeds on lakes and rivers of northern Eurasia; winters on coastal waters of Europe. Forages by diving for mollusks and crustaceans. Vulnerable due to significant population declines attributed to hunting pressure and habitat degradation.