African Black Duck vs Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Anas zonorhyncha
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Eastern Spot-billed Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Anas zonorhyncha |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 53.6 cm (21.1 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 1017.5 g (35.89 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Eats fish, aquatic invertebrates, and amphibians; dives in freshwater rivers; serrated bill grips prey; fish … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 7-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
African Black Duck only
None
Eastern Spot-billed Duck only
None
African Black Duck
Fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams, mountain gorges, and waterfalls from sea level to 4,000 m across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia and Kenya south to the Cape. Requires clear turbulent water with boulders.
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, and rice paddies in northeastern Asia from eastern Russia and Siberia through China, Korea, and Japan. Winters in southern China and southern Japan.
Song & Call Comparison
African Black Duck
Produces a harsh, resonant quacking call; alarm is a loud, emphatic quack repeated rapidly. Both sexes call with strong quacking; pairs duet with synchronized calls along African rivers.
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Female produces a loud, descending quacking series; male gives a low, nasal grunt. Vocalizations closely resemble the Indian Spot-billed Duck; pairs call antiphonally on East Asian wetlands.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Found in wetlands across Southeast Asia, from India to China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Largely resident; local seasonal movements.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
African Black Duck
Dark blackish-brown plumage with bold white spots on back and scapulars. Iridescent blue-green speculum with white borders. Head dark with pale spots. Bill and legs dark gray. Sexes similar. Fast-flowing …
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Brown body with pale buff face and throat; dark crown and eye stripe. Yellow-tipped black bill lacking the red spot of Indian Spot-billed Duck. Iridescent green speculum with white border. …
About These Birds
African Black Duck
A medium-sized dark brown duck with white spots on the back, a dark bill, and orange legs. Found along fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams in Africa. Territorial and monogamous; pairs defend stretches of river. Related to Pacific Black Duck.
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
A large brown dabbling duck with a yellow-tipped black bill, without the red spot of its Indian relative, and a green speculum. Found across northeastern Asia. Partially migratory; breeds in northern China, Korea, and Siberia; winters farther south and east.