American Black Duck vs Falcated Duck
Anas rubripes compared with Mareca falcata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Falcated Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Mareca falcata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 47.7 cm (18.8 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 620.5 g (21.89 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Eats seeds, plant material, and aquatic invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; omnivorous diet varies with … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 6-10 |
| 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.
Falcated Duck
Breeds along rivers and lake shores in Siberian taiga and meadows. Winters on freshwater lakes and rivers in China, Japan, and South Korea. Sensitive to hunting pressure and wetland drainage.
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.
Falcated Duck
Male gives a soft, whistled whi-ooo note; female produces a low, grunting quack. The male's haunting whistle is one of the more melodic sounds of East Asian wetlands in winter.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Falcated Duck
Nomadic across the interior wetlands of Australia; moves widely in response to flooding and drought conditions.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Falcated 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 …
Falcated Duck
Males have iridescent green-and-chestnut head with bushy drooping crest. Pale gray body with black and white breast band. Long, sickle-shaped tertials overhang tail. Females mottled brown. Spectacular dimorphism.
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.
Falcated Duck
An elegant duck. Males have a large chestnut-and-green crested head, long drooping tertial feathers, and finely vermiculated grey body. One of Asia's most beautiful ducks; declining due to hunting. Breeds in Siberia and northeastern Asia; winters in East and Southeast Asia.