African Black Duck vs Falcated Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Mareca falcata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Falcated Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Mareca falcata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 47.7 cm (18.8 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 620.5 g (21.89 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 6-10 |
| 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.
Falcated Duck
Breeds along rivers and lake shores in Siberian taiga and meadows. Winters on freshwater lakes and rivers in China, Japan, and South Korea. Sensitive to hunting pressure and wetland drainage.
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.
Falcated Duck
Male gives a soft, whistled whi-ooo note; female produces a low, grunting quack. The male's haunting whistle is one of the more melodic sounds of East Asian wetlands in winter.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Falcated 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 …
Falcated Duck
Males have iridescent green-and-chestnut head with bushy drooping crest. Pale gray body with black and white breast band. Long, sickle-shaped tertials overhang tail. Females mottled brown. Spectacular dimorphism.
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.
Falcated Duck
An elegant duck. Males have a large chestnut-and-green crested head, long drooping tertial feathers, and finely vermiculated grey body. One of Asia's most beautiful ducks; declining due to hunting. Breeds in Siberia and northeastern Asia; winters in East and Southeast Asia.