African Black Duck vs American Wigeon
Anas sparsa compared with Mareca americana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | American Wigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Mareca americana |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 50.6 cm (19.9 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 938.125 g (33.09 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet more invertebrate-heavy in breeding … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 3-12 |
| 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.
American Wigeon
Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes in boreal and northern forest of North America. Winters on coastal bays, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, and agricultural fields from the southern United States to Central America.
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.
American Wigeon
Male produces a three-note whew-whew-wheoo whistle; female gives a low grunting purr. The male's clear, looping whistle is distinctive on North American ponds and marshes.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Resident across South and Southeast Asia, from India to southern China and the Philippines. Non-migratory in most of its range.
American Wigeon
Resident across Australia and parts of New Guinea. Sedentary in wetlands; locally nomadic in arid interior zones.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
American Wigeon
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 …
American Wigeon
Males have white forehead and crown; iridescent green eye patch; pinkish-buff breast; gray flanks; white belly. White forewing patch in flight. Females mottled brown-gray with gray head. Dimorphic.
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.
American Wigeon
A medium-sized duck. Males have a creamy-white forehead blaze, broad green eye-stripe, pink-brown body, and white shoulder patch; females are warm brown. Common in North America; winters in coastal wetlands and agricultural land. Grazes on grass and aquatic plants.