American Black Duck vs Scaly-sided Merganser
Anas rubripes compared with Mergus squamatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Scaly-sided Merganser |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Mergus squamatus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 51.2 cm (20.2 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1145.8 g (40.42 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for fish in fast-flowing East Asian rivers. Endangered; highly piscivorous with serrated bill adapted … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 4-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
None
Scaly-sided Merganser only
None
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.
Scaly-sided Merganser
Male gives a quiet, low grunting call; female produces a guttural, croaking series. Endangered; calls are poorly known; similar to Red-breasted Merganser but quieter in Manchurian forest rivers.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Scaly-sided Merganser
Breeds in southern Russia, northern China, and the Russian Far East. Winters in southern China and Korea. Found on fast-flowing forested rivers.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Scaly-sided Merganser
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 …
Scaly-sided Merganser
Male has iridescent dark green head with long flat crest, white body with distinctive black scaly pattern on flanks, and black back with white patches. Female has brownish-red crested head …
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.
Scaly-sided Merganser
A medium-large merganser (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, distinguished by scaly flank patterning and a shaggy crest. Breeds along fast, clear rivers in old-growth forests of far eastern Russia and China; winters in rivers of East and Southeast Asia. Feeds on fish. Endangered due to deforestation, river pollution, and human disturbance of nesting sites.