African Black Duck vs Ruddy Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Oxyura jamaicensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Ruddy Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Oxyura jamaicensis |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 27.9 cm (11.0 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 586.6666666666666 g (20.69 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Dives for aquatic plant seeds, roots, and invertebrates in freshwater marshes. Uses stiff tail as … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 5-15 |
| 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.
Ruddy Duck
Male produces a mechanical, drumming bok-bok-bok staccato beat; female gives a harsh, nasal quack. The male's rapid drum-roll call on the bill during display is startlingly loud and distinctive.
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.
Ruddy Duck
Breeds across interior North America from western Canada south to Mexico. Winters on coasts and inland waters south to northern South America.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Ruddy 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 …
Ruddy Duck
Breeding male has vivid rufous-chestnut body, black crown, white cheeks, and bright sky-blue bill; stiff tail often cocked upright. Female is dull brown with pale cheek crossed by single dark …
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.
Ruddy Duck
A compact stiff-tailed diving duck (~590 g) in family Anatidae, males chestnut-bodied with a sky-blue bill in breeding season. Native to North and South America; an introduced invasive in Europe threatening the White-headed Duck through hybridization. Breeds on freshwater marshes; dives for aquatic plants and invertebrates. Least Concern in native range.