American Black Duck vs Bar-headed Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Anser indicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Bar-headed Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Anser indicus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 87.6 cm (34.5 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 2288.0 g (80.71 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Eats aquatic plants, grasses, and roots; filters invertebrates during breeding; forms large flocks on shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 3-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Bar-headed 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.
Bar-headed Goose
Breeds on high-altitude lakes and rivers at 4,000–5,000 m in Central Asia (Tibet, Mongolia, Ladakh). Migrates over the Himalayas. Winters on rivers, lakes, and agricultural fields in the Indian subcontinent.
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.
Bar-headed Goose
A nasal, goose-like honking 'wang-wang-wang'. Flocks give persistent calling during high-altitude Himalayan migration — among the highest migrations of any bird species.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Bar-headed Goose
Breeds in high Arctic of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska; winters on rocky coasts of eastern North America and western Europe.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Bar-headed 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 …
Bar-headed Goose
White head with two distinctive black bars across crown. Yellow-orange bill and legs. Back and wings pale gray; underparts white. Black-tipped primaries. Sexes similar; famed for Himalayan migration.
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.
Bar-headed Goose
Famous as one of the world's highest-flying birds, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes exceeding 7,000 m during migration. Medium-sized, pale grey with two distinctive black bars on the white head. Breeds on high-altitude lakes; winters in South Asian wetlands. Specialized haemoglobin enables high-altitude flight.