African Black Duck vs Redhead
Anas sparsa compared with Aythya americana
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Redhead |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Aythya americana |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 43.7 cm (17.2 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 1055.0 g (37.21 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in shallow coastal water; hard-shelled benthic prey dominates … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 7-14 |
| 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.
Redhead
Breeds on prairie marshes and potholes in western North America. Winters on large bays, coastal waters, lakes, and reservoirs across the southern United States and Mexico. Large concentrations on Laguna Madre, Texas.
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.
Redhead
Male gives a low, mewing may-heah call; female produces a purring, rolled quacking. The mewing, nasal call is unlike any other North American duck; flocks create a cat-like chorus.
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.
Redhead
Breeds in boreal and temperate North America; winters from southern Canada to northern South America along both coasts.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Redhead
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 …
Redhead
Males have rounded rufous-red head; black breast and undertail; pale gray body. Blue-gray bill with white ring and black tip. Red eye. Females brown with paler face. Rounder head than …
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.
Redhead
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rounded rufous-red head, black breast and rear, and grey body; females are brown. Highly parasitic breeder—females frequently lay eggs in other ducks' nests. Found across North America. Winters on large bays and coastal waters.