African Black Duck vs Hartlaub's Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Pteronetta hartlaubii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Hartlaub's Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Pteronetta hartlaubii |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 910.0 g (32.10 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Eats seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and plant matter; dabbles in ponds and marshes; diet more invertebrate-heavy … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 7-11 |
| 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.
Hartlaub's Duck
Tropical rainforest streams, forest pools, and shaded swamps from Guinea and Sierra Leone east through the Congo Basin to Uganda and western Kenya. Requires undisturbed riverine forest with shaded water.
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.
Hartlaub's Duck
A low, nasal 'quack' and soft 'kek-kek'. Generally quieter than other perching ducks. Calls from dense Central and West African rainforest where it is rarely observed.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Hartlaub's Duck
Breeds in wetlands across Eurasia; winters from Africa and the Middle East to South and Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Hartlaub's 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 …
Hartlaub's Duck
Dark chocolate-brown body; white patches at side of head distinctive. Males have dark blue frontal shield extending from bill. Wings show pale blue-gray inner forewing. Legs gray. West African forest …
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.
Hartlaub's Duck
A large dark duck with a chestnut-brown body, dark head and neck, pale blue speculum, and bright red base to the bill in males. Found in tropical African rainforest streams and forest swamps. One of Africa's least-studied ducks. Lives singly or in pairs in shaded forest waterways.