American Black Duck vs Ruddy-headed Goose
Anas rubripes compared with Chloephaga rubidiceps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Ruddy-headed Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 65.1 cm (25.6 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1756.8333333333333 g (61.97 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 3-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Ruddy-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.
Ruddy-headed Goose
Breeds on open tussock grasslands and moorland in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. Mainland wintering population on Patagonian grasslands now critically small. Falkland Islands population relatively stable.
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.
Ruddy-headed Goose
A high, whistled 'whee' from males and a cackling rattle from females. Calls similar to Ashy-headed Goose. Falkland Islands population; calls in open coastal grassland.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Ruddy-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 …
Ruddy-headed Goose
Distinctive rufous-brown head and neck; body barred rufous and black above; underparts buff-white finely barred. Orange-yellow legs. White wing patches in flight. Compact; sexes similar. Falklands and Patagonia.
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.
Ruddy-headed Goose
A small sheldgoose with a rich rufous-brown head and neck, buff-white belly, and barred back. One of the world's rarest geese; mainland population now nearly extinct. Breeds in Tierra del Fuego; main stronghold remains the Falkland Islands. Winters on the Argentine pampas.