African Black Duck vs Scaly-sided Merganser
Anas sparsa compared with Mergus squamatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Scaly-sided Merganser |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Mergus squamatus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 51.2 cm (20.2 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 1145.8 g (40.42 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Dives for fish in fast-flowing East Asian rivers. Endangered; highly piscivorous with serrated bill adapted … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 4-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
African Black Duck only
None
Scaly-sided Merganser only
African Black Duck
Fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams, mountain gorges, and waterfalls from sea level to 4,000 m across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia and Kenya south to the Cape. Requires clear turbulent water with boulders.
Song & Call Comparison
African Black Duck
Produces a harsh, resonant quacking call; alarm is a loud, emphatic quack repeated rapidly. Both sexes call with strong quacking; pairs duet with synchronized calls along African rivers.
Scaly-sided Merganser
Male gives a quiet, low grunting call; female produces a guttural, croaking series. Endangered; calls are poorly known; similar to Red-breasted Merganser but quieter in Manchurian forest rivers.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Scaly-sided Merganser
Breeds in southern Russia, northern China, and the Russian Far East. Winters in southern China and Korea. Found on fast-flowing forested rivers.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Scaly-sided Merganser
How to Tell Them Apart
African Black Duck
Dark blackish-brown plumage with bold white spots on back and scapulars. Iridescent blue-green speculum with white borders. Head dark with pale spots. Bill and legs dark gray. Sexes similar. Fast-flowing …
Scaly-sided Merganser
Male has iridescent dark green head with long flat crest, white body with distinctive black scaly pattern on flanks, and black back with white patches. Female has brownish-red crested head …
About These Birds
African Black Duck
A medium-sized dark brown duck with white spots on the back, a dark bill, and orange legs. Found along fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams in Africa. Territorial and monogamous; pairs defend stretches of river. Related to Pacific Black Duck.
Scaly-sided Merganser
A medium-large merganser (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, distinguished by scaly flank patterning and a shaggy crest. Breeds along fast, clear rivers in old-growth forests of far eastern Russia and China; winters in rivers of East and Southeast Asia. Feeds on fish. Endangered due to deforestation, river pollution, and human disturbance of nesting sites.