American Black Duck vs Silver Teal
Anas rubripes compared with Spatula versicolor
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Silver Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Spatula versicolor |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 37.0 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 409.75 g (14.45 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dabbles for seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; diet varies with season; forages in shallow ponds … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 6-10 |
| 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.
Silver Teal
Freshwater wetlands, marshes, lakes, and flooded fields from sea level to 3,500 m in southern South America from Peru and Bolivia through Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.
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.
Silver Teal
Male produces a soft, nasal prrp note; female gives a subdued quack. Quiet vocalizations suit the species' secretive nature in South American reedy marshes.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Silver Teal
Breeds in sub-Arctic Europe and western Russia; winters on coasts of Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Caspian Sea.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Silver Teal
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 …
Silver Teal
Black crown contrasting with white face and sides. Body pale silvery-gray with fine dark vermiculations. Bold yellow-and-black bill. Blue-gray forewing and iridescent green speculum in flight. Sexes similar.
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.
Silver Teal
A medium-sized teal with a striking black cap, white face, blue bill with yellow sides, and boldly spotted scaly-looking flanks. Widespread in lowland and mid-altitude South America. Often found in pairs or small groups. Feeds by dabbling in shallow water.