African Black Duck vs Red-breasted Merganser

Anas sparsa verglichen mit Mergus serrator

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal African Black Duck Red-breasted Merganser
Wissenschaftlicher Name Anas sparsa Mergus serrator
Ordnung Anseriformes Anseriformes
Familie Anatidae Anatidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 49,5 cm (19.5 in) 46,7 cm (18.4 in)
Gewicht 996,8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) 1058,3333333333333 g (37.33 oz)
Ernährung -- Dives for small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal and freshwater habitats. Pursues fish …
Gelegegröße 4-9 6-14
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

African Black Duck only

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Red-breasted Merganser only

African Black Duck

Fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams, mountain gorges, and waterfalls from sea level to 4,000 m across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia and Kenya south to the Cape. Requires clear turbulent water with boulders.

Song & Call Comparison

African Black Duck

Gesang

Produces a harsh, resonant quacking call; alarm is a loud, emphatic quack repeated rapidly. Both sexes call with strong quacking; pairs duet with synchronized calls along African rivers.

Red-breasted Merganser

Gesang

Male produces a harsh, rasping series of notes; female gives a rough, guttural grunting. The harsh, rattling call is louder than Goosander; pairs and flocks create a rasping coastal cacophony.

Geographic Range & Migration

African Black Duck

Red-breasted Merganser

Circumpolar breeder in boreal and Arctic zones. Winters on coasts and large water bodies south to the Mediterranean and southern Asia.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

African Black Duck

Least Concern

Red-breasted Merganser

How to Tell Them Apart

African Black Duck

Gefieder

Dark blackish-brown plumage with bold white spots on back and scapulars. Iridescent blue-green speculum with white borders. Head dark with pale spots. Bill and legs dark gray. Sexes similar. Fast-flowing …

Red-breasted Merganser

Gefieder

Male has dark green shaggy double crest, speckled chestnut breast band, white collar, and grey flanks; red bill. Female has rufous-brown head with ragged crest blending gradually into grey neck …

About These Birds

African Black Duck

A medium-sized dark brown duck with white spots on the back, a dark bill, and orange legs. Found along fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams in Africa. Territorial and monogamous; pairs defend stretches of river. Related to Pacific Black Duck.

Red-breasted Merganser

A medium-sized fish-eating duck (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, males with a ragged double crest, green head, and rufous breast band. Breeds near freshwater and coastal habitats across the Northern Hemisphere; winters in estuaries and coastal seas. Dives in pursuit of fish and invertebrates. Least Concern; one of the fastest flying ducks, reaching 100 km/h.

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