American Black Duck vs Ruddy Duck
Anas rubripes compared with Oxyura jamaicensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Ruddy Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Oxyura jamaicensis |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 27.9 cm (11.0 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 586.6666666666666 g (20.69 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for aquatic plant seeds, roots, and invertebrates in freshwater marshes. Uses stiff tail as … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 5-15 |
| 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.
Ruddy Duck
Male produces a mechanical, drumming bok-bok-bok staccato beat; female gives a harsh, nasal quack. The male's rapid drum-roll call on the bill during display is startlingly loud and distinctive.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Ruddy Duck
Breeds across interior North America from western Canada south to Mexico. Winters on coasts and inland waters south to northern South America.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Ruddy 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 …
Ruddy Duck
Breeding male has vivid rufous-chestnut body, black crown, white cheeks, and bright sky-blue bill; stiff tail often cocked upright. Female is dull brown with pale cheek crossed by single dark …
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 Duck
A compact stiff-tailed diving duck (~590 g) in family Anatidae, males chestnut-bodied with a sky-blue bill in breeding season. Native to North and South America; an introduced invasive in Europe threatening the White-headed Duck through hybridization. Breeds on freshwater marshes; dives for aquatic plants and invertebrates. Least Concern in native range.