American Black Duck vs Salvadori's Teal

Anas rubripes compared with Salvadorina waigiuensis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute American Black Duck Salvadori's Teal
Scientific Name Anas rubripes Salvadorina waigiuensis
Order Anseriformes Anseriformes
Family Anatidae Anatidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 53.4 cm (21.0 in) 37.2 cm (14.6 in)
Weight 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) 345.6666666666667 g (12.19 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1-17 3-4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

American Black Duck only

Salvadori's Teal only

None

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.

Salvadori's Teal

Fast-flowing clear mountain streams and rivers at 1,000–3,900 m on New Guinea. Requires clean turbulent water with abundant aquatic invertebrates. Avoids lowland and polluted rivers.

Song & Call Comparison

American Black Duck

Song

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.

Salvadori's Teal

Song

A soft, piping whistle from New Guinea mountain streams. Relatively poorly known; call is a gentle, reedy note. Behavior and vocalizations remain incompletely documented.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

American Black Duck

Least Concern

Salvadori's Teal

How to Tell Them Apart

American Black Duck

Plumage

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 …

Salvadori's Teal

Plumage

Dark brown plumage with fine pale spotting and barring throughout. Head dark brown; underparts barred brown and buff. Yellow bill with dark tip. Legs and feet yellow. Unique highland New …

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.

Salvadori's Teal

A small brown torrent-adapted duck with a yellow bill, spotted body, and barred flanks. Endemic to New Guinea's mountain rivers. Often compared to New Zealand's Blue Duck in ecological niche. Inhabits fast-flowing alpine streams. Poorly studied; listed as Vulnerable.

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