American Black Duck vs Smew

Anas rubripes comparé à Mergellus albellus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut American Black Duck Smew
Nom scientifique Anas rubripes Mergellus albellus
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 53,4 cm (21.0 in) 37,5 cm (14.8 in)
Poids 1211,25 g (42.73 oz) 658,75 g (23.24 oz)
Régime alimentaire -- Dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans in freshwater and coastal habitats. Uses serrated …
Taille de la couvée 1-17 5-11
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

American Black Duck only

Aucun(e)

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

Chant

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

Chant

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

Smew

Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and Siberia. Winters on large lakes and coasts from western Europe east to Japan and China.

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

American Black Duck

Least Concern

Smew

How to Tell Them Apart

American Black Duck

Plumage

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

Plumage

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.

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