American Black Duck vs Common Scoter
Anas rubripes compared with Melanitta nigra
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Common Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Melanitta nigra |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 44.2 cm (17.4 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1127.25 g (39.76 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for bivalves, especially cockles, mussels, and clams, in shallow coastal seas. Also eats crustaceans … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 6-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Common Scoter 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.
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.
Common Scoter
Male gives a soft, piping whistle; female produces a harsh, rasping call. The male's piping whistle is subtle; female's harsh calls dominate on European winter coasts and estuaries.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Common Scoter
Breeds on moorland and boreal tundra from Iceland and Britain east to western Siberia. Winters on northwestern European coasts and the Baltic Sea.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Common Scoter
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 …
Common Scoter
Male is entirely sooty black without white markings; orange-yellow patch on upper bill with small black knob. Female brownish-black above with contrasting pale cream cheeks and throat.
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.
Common Scoter
A medium-sized sea duck (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, males entirely black with a knobbed yellow bill. Breeds on moorland lakes in northern Europe and western Siberia; winters in large flocks on shallow coastal seas. Dives for bivalves and crustaceans. Least Concern; monitored due to sensitivity to offshore energy development and oil spills.