African Black Duck vs Baikal Teal
Anas sparsa compared with Sibirionetta formosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Baikal Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Sibirionetta formosa |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 41.2 cm (16.2 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 446.75 g (15.76 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Dabbles for seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and plant matter; omnivorous diet varies with season and water … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 4-10 |
| 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.
Baikal Teal
Breeds in boreal taiga along Siberian rivers and boggy ground from western to northeastern Siberia. Winters on freshwater lakes and rice fields in South Korea, Japan, and eastern China.
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.
Baikal Teal
Male gives a soft, liquid wot-wot call; female produces a low, nasal quack. Wintering flocks create a musical murmuring chorus of whistled notes on East Asian wetlands.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Resident across South and Southeast Asia, from India to southern China and the Philippines. Non-migratory in most of its range.
Baikal Teal
Breeds in montane and boreal zones across Eurasia; winters at lower elevations and southern latitudes in Europe and Asia.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Baikal Teal
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 …
Baikal Teal
Males have exquisitely patterned green-and-buff head with bold white and black facial stripes. Pinkish breast with black spots; gray flanks; long drooping scapulars. Females brown with white loral spot and …
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.
Baikal Teal
A strikingly beautiful teal with intricately patterned golden, green, black, and white head; pink-brown breast; and grey flanks. Breeds in Siberian taiga; winters in East Asia. Once seriously depleted, now recovering. Forms spectacular flocks of hundreds of thousands at South Korean wintering sites.