American Black Duck vs King Eider
Anas rubripes compared with Somateria spectabilis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | King Eider |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Somateria spectabilis |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 53.3 cm (21.0 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 1507.5 g (53.18 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for sea urchins, molluscs, and crustaceans in Arctic coastal waters. Shifts to freshwater invertebrates … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 1-16 |
| 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.
King Eider
Male produces a melodious, ascending ooo-wuh cooing; female gives a guttural grunt. The male's haunting, dove-like call is one of the most atmospheric sounds of the High Arctic in spring.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
King Eider
Circumpolar High Arctic breeder in North America, Greenland, Svalbard, and Russia. Winters at sea in the North Atlantic and Bering Sea.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
King Eider
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 …
King Eider
Male has bluish-grey crown, pale greenish cheeks, vivid orange-red frontal shield, black back and wings, and white breast patch. Female is warm rufous-brown with dark crescentic barring throughout.
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.
King Eider
A large sea duck (~1.5 kg) of the family Anatidae, males adorned with an ornate orange frontal shield and vivid plumage. Inhabits Arctic coasts and tundra, migrating to subarctic seas in winter. Dives up to 25 m to forage on mussels, clams, and sea urchins. Least Concern; circumpolar breeding population remains stable.