African Black Duck vs Harlequin Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Histrionicus histrionicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Harlequin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Histrionicus histrionicus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 38.8 cm (15.3 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 553.0 g (19.51 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Forages in fast-flowing streams for aquatic insect larvae, amphipods, and small fish. Dives and clings … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
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.
Harlequin Duck
Male gives a squeaky, mouse-like squeal; female produces a guttural, grunting call. The male's bizarre, high-pitched squealing call is completely unexpected in such a compact seaduck.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Harlequin Duck
Breeds on fast-flowing rivers in Iceland, Greenland, and northern North America. Winters along rocky Pacific and Atlantic coasts south to California.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Harlequin 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 …
Harlequin Duck
Male is slate-blue with bold white crescent before eye, white spots and streaks on head, neck, and scapulars, and rich chestnut flanks. Female is dark sooty-brown with three white facial …
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.
Harlequin Duck
A compact sea duck (~550 g) in family Anatidae, males strikingly patterned in slate-blue with chestnut and white markings. Breeds along fast-flowing mountain streams in North America, Greenland, and Iceland; winters on rocky surf-swept coastlines. Feeds on aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern with stable populations across its range.