African Black Duck vs Blue Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Blue Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 45.6 cm (18.0 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 861.75 g (30.40 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 5-6 |
| 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.
Blue Duck
Fast-flowing clear turbulent mountain rivers and streams in pristine native forest at 300–1,500 m in both main islands of New Zealand. Requires undisturbed riparian habitat with abundant aquatic invertebrates.
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.
Blue Duck
A soft, musical whistle from fast-flowing South Island rivers. Call is a clear 'whio' — giving the bird its Maori name. Also gives a soft, reedy 'squeak'. Endangered; rarely heard.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Blue 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 …
Blue Duck
Distinctive slate-blue-gray plumage; breast spotted with chestnut-brown in both sexes. Pale bill with flexible pink lobes at tip. Chestnut eye. Sexes similar; adapted to fast-flowing mountain streams in New Zealand.
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.
Blue Duck
A medium-sized blue-grey torrent duck with a pale pink bill tipped with a distinctive flap of skin, and chestnut-spotted breast. Endemic to New Zealand's fast-flowing mountain rivers. One of New Zealand's most endangered endemics. Monogamous with strong site fidelity to individual river territories.