American Black Duck vs Smew
Anas rubripes verglichen mit Mergellus albellus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | American Black Duck | Smew |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Anas rubripes | Mergellus albellus |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 53,4 cm (21.0 in) | 37,5 cm (14.8 in) |
| Gewicht | 1211,25 g (42.73 oz) | 658,75 g (23.24 oz) |
| Ernährung | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans in freshwater and coastal habitats. Uses serrated … |
| Gelegegröße | 1-17 | 5-11 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Gemeinsame Lebensräume
American Black Duck only
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Smew only
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.
Smew
Male gives a soft, crow-like krr note; female produces a grating, rasping call. Both sexes are relatively quiet; the male's harsh, crow-like call is surprisingly low for such a small …
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Smew
Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and Siberia. Winters on large lakes and coasts from western Europe east to Japan and China.
Erhaltungsstatus
American Black Duck
Smew
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 …
Smew
Male is largely white with black eye patch, black lines on back, and fine black lines on flanks creating a cracked-ice pattern. Female has chestnut-red head, white cheeks, and grey …
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.
Smew
A small merganser (~660 g) in family Anatidae, males predominantly white with fine black markings and a small crest. Breeds in boreal forests of northern Eurasia near rivers and lakes, nesting in tree holes; winters on freshwater and coastal waters in central and western Europe. Feeds on small fish and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.