American Black Duck vs Harlequin Duck
Anas rubripes compared with Histrionicus histrionicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Harlequin Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Histrionicus histrionicus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 38.8 cm (15.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 553.0 g (19.51 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Forages in fast-flowing streams for aquatic insect larvae, amphipods, and small fish. Dives and clings … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 3-9 |
| 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.
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.
Harlequin Duck
Male gives a squeaky, mouse-like squeal; female produces a guttural, grunting call. The male's bizarre, high-pitched squealing call is completely unexpected in such a compact seaduck.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Harlequin Duck
Breeds on fast-flowing rivers in Iceland, Greenland, and northern North America. Winters along rocky Pacific and Atlantic coasts south to California.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Harlequin Duck
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 …
Harlequin Duck
Male is slate-blue with bold white crescent before eye, white spots and streaks on head, neck, and scapulars, and rich chestnut flanks. Female is dark sooty-brown with three white facial …
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.
Harlequin Duck
A compact sea duck (~550 g) in family Anatidae, males strikingly patterned in slate-blue with chestnut and white markings. Breeds along fast-flowing mountain streams in North America, Greenland, and Iceland; winters on rocky surf-swept coastlines. Feeds on aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern with stable populations across its range.