American Black Duck vs Ruddy Shelduck
Anas rubripes compared with Tadorna ferruginea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Ruddy Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Tadorna ferruginea |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 71.1 cm (28.0 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1318.3333333333333 g (46.50 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Feeds on seeds, plant material, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in wetlands; diet varies between seasons … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 8-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Ruddy Shelduck 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.
Ruddy Shelduck
Steppe lakes, river valleys, inland saline and freshwater wetlands from southeastern Europe and North Africa east through Central Asia to China and Mongolia. Winters on lakes and rivers in South and Southeast Asia.
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.
Ruddy Shelduck
A loud, resonant bugling 'aakh' from males; females give a rapid cackling 'kak-kak-kak'. Call carries far across open Asian steppe and river valleys.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Ruddy Shelduck
Breeds in wetlands across Eurasia; winters from sub-Saharan Africa to South and Southeast Asia. Broad wintering distribution.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Ruddy Shelduck
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 …
Ruddy Shelduck
Warm orange-rufous overall plumage; paler buffy head. Males have narrow black neck collar in breeding season. Black tail and primaries. White wing coverts and iridescent green speculum visible in flight. …
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.
Ruddy Shelduck
A large orange-brown shelduck with a pale buff head, black neck ring (male only), white wing patches, and bright green speculum. Widespread from Morocco and southeastern Europe east to China. Sacred to Buddhists in Tibet. Nests in burrows, rock crevices, and ruins.