American Black Duck vs Greylag Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Anser anser
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Greylag Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Anser anser |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 87.1 cm (34.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 3297.5 g (116.32 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Eats shoots, seeds, and aquatic plants; takes invertebrates in shallow water; diet varies between coastal … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Greylag Goose only
American Black Duck
Freshwater and brackish wetlands in eastern North America from Atlantic Canada south along the coast to Georgia. Breeds in northern bogs and wetlands. Winters on coastal marshes, estuaries, and freshwater lakes.
Greylag Goose
Breeds on moorland, bogs, freshwater wetlands, and lake margins across Eurasia from Iceland to central Asia. Winters on estuaries, agricultural fields, and wetlands. Feral populations year-round in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
American Black Duck
Female produces a loud, deep quacking series; male gives a low, raspy grunt. Voice is deeper and huskier than a Mallard; pairs call powerfully across northeastern North American wetlands.
Greylag Goose
A deep, loud 'aahng' honking. The ancestral goose of domesticated geese; its call is the template for the classic 'goose honk'. Flocks are highly vocal in flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Greylag Goose
Breeds across central and northern North America; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Greylag Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
American Black Duck
Sooty dark brown body; head and neck paler buff with dark streaking. Iridescent purple speculum without white border. Males have yellow-green bill; females olive with orange blotches. Silvery underwings in …
Greylag Goose
Large and heavy; uniformly gray-brown with pale feather fringes on back. Head and neck grayish-brown. Orange-pink bill; pink legs. Pale gray forewing conspicuous in flight. Ancestor of domestic geese.
About These Birds
American Black Duck
A large dark brown dabbling duck closely resembling a very dark female Mallard, with purple speculum, yellowish-olive bill in males, and orange legs. Common in eastern North America. Hybridizes freely with Mallard; pure populations declining in the interior.
Greylag Goose
The ancestor of most domestic geese, with grey-brown plumage, an orange bill, and pale grey forewing visible in flight. Large and boisterous; one of Europe's most familiar geese. Wild birds breed across Eurasia; re-introduced and feral populations now resident in many areas including city parks.