American Black Duck vs Freckled Duck
Anas rubripes compared with Stictonetta naevosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Freckled Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Stictonetta naevosa |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 46.5 cm (18.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 888.25 g (31.33 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds in shallow water; upends in wetlands; diet shifts toward plant … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 5-10 |
| 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.
Freckled Duck
Dense inland freshwater swamps, tea-tree bogs, and reedy lakes across southern and inland Australia. Highly nomadic; follows ephemeral inland flooding. Key breeding sites in Murray-Darling Basin swamps.
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.
Freckled Duck
Soft, nasal 'quacking' and grunting sounds. Considered a quieter, more secretive duck than most. Males give a soft wheeze; females give low quacks. Not vocal by duck standards.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Freckled Duck
Breeds in the sub-Arctic and boreal regions of North America; winters inland and coastally across the southern United States.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Freckled Duck
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 …
Freckled Duck
Dark grayish-brown plumage densely freckled with pale spots and streaks throughout. Head large and rounded with peaked crown. Bill gray-blue with red patch at base in breeding males. 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.
Freckled Duck
An unusual Australian duck with dark brown plumage densely speckled with small pale spots. Considered a living fossil with no close relatives—placed in its own subfamily. Males have a red base to the bill in breeding season. Found in inland Australia; highly nomadic following rainfall.