African Black Duck vs Maccoa Duck
Anas sparsa compared with Oxyura maccoa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Maccoa Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Oxyura maccoa |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 31.3 cm (12.3 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 685.3333333333334 g (24.17 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Dives for aquatic invertebrates and plant seeds in African lakes and marshes. Uses lobed feet … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 4-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Maccoa Duck
Male emits a rapid, staccato drumming display; female gives a harsh, emphatic quack. The drumming call is powerful and diagnostic; this endangered southern African stiff-tail displays at dawn.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Maccoa Duck
Resident in eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia and Kenya south to the Cape. Found on lakes and marshes with dense aquatic vegetation.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Maccoa Duck
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 …
Maccoa Duck
Male has glossy black head, deep chestnut-red body, and vivid sky-blue bill; stiff tail often cocked. Female is dark brown above with streaked buff below and two pale facial stripes …
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.
Maccoa Duck
A stiff-tailed diving duck (~685 g) of sub-Saharan Africa, family Anatidae, males chestnut-bodied with a blue bill. Inhabits large, deep freshwater lakes and dams in eastern and southern Africa. Dives for aquatic invertebrates and vegetation. Endangered due to small, fragmented populations, habitat loss from wetland drainage, and competition with introduced species.