American Black Duck vs Snow Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Anser caerulescens
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Snow Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Anser caerulescens |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 82.4 cm (32.4 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 2561.0 g (90.34 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Grazes submerged aquatic vegetation and eelgrass in estuaries; also takes grasses and sedges on coastal … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 2-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Snow Goose
Breeds on coastal and inland Arctic tundra in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. Winters on agricultural fields, marshes, and coastal wetlands across the United States and northern Mexico. Forms enormous flocks.
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.
Snow Goose
A loud, nasal barking 'luk-luk' or 'kow-kow'. Large flocks create enormous noise during Arctic nesting and winter staging. Considered a noisy, conspicuous goose.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Snow Goose
Breeds in eastern North America's boreal forest; winters on the Atlantic coast from New England to South Carolina.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Snow 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 …
Snow Goose
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.
Snow Goose
A distinctive goose with two morphs—white with black wingtips, or 'blue morph' with dark body and white head. Large flocks create spectacular migration events. Breeds in the Arctic; winters in the United States and Mexico. Population growth has caused severe overgrazing of Arctic salt marshes.