American Black Duck vs Canvasback
Anas rubripes compared with Aythya valisineria
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Canvasback |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Aythya valisineria |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 44.7 cm (17.6 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1223.25 g (43.15 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet dominated by … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 2-16 |
| 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.
Canvasback
Breeds on prairie potholes and boreal lakes across western North America. Winters on large open lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and Chesapeake Bay. Sensitive to loss of prairie wetlands.
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.
Canvasback
Male produces a low, cooing purr; female gives a harsh, rolling quacking series. Males whisper-call in rolling, cooing notes during courtship; female's harsh quacking is emphatic on North American marshes.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Canvasback
Breeds in wooded wetlands of Canada and the northern United States; winters in the southern US and Central America.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Canvasback
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 …
Canvasback
Males have rich chestnut-red head and neck; black breast; pale canvas-gray body; white flanks. Sloping forehead profile with dark red bill and red eye. Females gray-brown with reddish-brown head. Dimorphic …
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.
Canvasback
A large diving duck with a distinctive sloping forehead and long sloped bill. Males have a rich chestnut-red head, black breast, and pale white-grey body; females are grey-brown. Named for its canvas-like grey back. Dives for aquatic roots and tubers, especially wild celery.