American Black Duck vs Radjah Shelduck
Anas rubripes compared with Radjah radjah
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Radjah Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Radjah radjah |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 54.0 cm (21.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 883.5 g (31.16 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dabbles for seeds and aquatic invertebrates; also grazes on grasses; diet shifts between land and … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 6-15 |
| 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.
Radjah Shelduck
Mangroves, tidal mudflats, tropical coastal wetlands, and freshwater lagoons in New Guinea and the tropical north of Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia). Nests in tree hollows near water.
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.
Radjah Shelduck
A loud, rattling 'radjah-radjah' or repeated cackling 'rak-rak-rak'. Calls from tropical Australian and New Guinea wetlands. Name is partly onomatopoeic.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Radjah Shelduck
Breeds in the eastern Arctic of Russia; winters across southern Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Radjah Shelduck
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 …
Radjah Shelduck
White head and body with chestnut breastband and white-spotted chestnut scapulars. Pink bill and legs. Iridescent green speculum with white bar visible in flight. Sexes similar. Australasian mangrove specialist.
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.
Radjah Shelduck
A medium-sized elegant shelduck with white body plumage, chestnut breast band, dark green back, and pinkish-red bill and legs. Found in coastal mangroves, mudflats, and tropical wetlands of New Guinea and northern Australia. Calls with a loud raspy rattling sound.