American Black Duck vs Falkland Steamerduck
Anas rubripes compared with Tachyeres brachypterus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Falkland Steamerduck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 49.0 cm (19.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 3799.0 g (134.01 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 4-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
American Black Duck only
Falkland Steamerduck 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.
Falkland Steamerduck
Exclusive to rocky coasts, sheltered coves, kelp beds, and sea inlets of the Falkland Islands. Flightless; strictly coastal. One of the few bird species entirely endemic to the Falkland Islands.
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.
Falkland Steamerduck
Similar to Magellanic Steamerduck in call quality — harsh, rattling, mechanical. Falkland Island birds' vocalizations adapted for stormy, windswept coastal habitat.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Falkland Steamerduck
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 …
Falkland Steamerduck
Flightless; males gray with white supercilium and orange bill. Breast grayish-brown; flanks with brown mottling. Females brown with white eye-ring. Yellow-olive bill. Endemic to Falkland Islands.
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.
Falkland Steamerduck
A large flightless steamerduck endemic to the Falkland Islands, with grey body plumage, white belly, and orange-yellow bill. Males have a rust-orange head. Highly territorial and aggressive; pairs vigorously defend coastal territories. Feeds by diving in kelp beds and rocky coastal shallows.