American Black Duck vs Surf Scoter
Anas rubripes verglichen mit Melanitta perspicillata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | American Black Duck | Surf Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Anas rubripes | Melanitta perspicillata |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 53,4 cm (21.0 in) | 45,3 cm (17.8 in) |
| Gewicht | 1211,25 g (42.73 oz) | 1019,75 g (35.97 oz) |
| Ernährung | -- | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and herring spawn in coastal waters. Uses its distinctive swollen bill … |
| Gelegegröße | 1-17 | 5-9 |
| 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.
Surf Scoter
Male produces a low, gurgling burble; female gives a crow-like, guttural cawing. The female's rasping, crow-like call is startling; males make soft, liquid gurgling notes during courtship.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Surf Scoter
Breeds in boreal forests and tundra of northern North America. Winters along Pacific and Atlantic coasts south to Baja California and the Carolinas.
Erhaltungsstatus
American Black Duck
Surf Scoter
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 …
Surf Scoter
Male is entirely glossy black except for white patches on forehead and nape; bill tricolored orange, red, and white with black spot. Female sooty-brown with two white facial patches.
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.
Surf Scoter
A medium-sized diving duck (~1 kg) of the family Anatidae, males all-black with a multicolored bill and white head patches. Breeds on boreal lakes and wetlands of North America; winters in coastal bays and surf zones. Dives for mussels, clams, and crustaceans. Least Concern; populations are considered stable overall.