African Black Duck vs Canvasback
Anas sparsa comparé à Aythya valisineria
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | African Black Duck | Canvasback |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Anas sparsa | Aythya valisineria |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 49,5 cm (19.5 in) | 44,7 cm (17.6 in) |
| Poids | 996,8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 1223,25 g (43.15 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet dominated by … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-9 | 2-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Canvasback
Breeds on prairie potholes and boreal lakes across western North America. Winters on large open lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and Chesapeake Bay. Sensitive to loss of prairie wetlands.
Song & Call Comparison
African Black Duck
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.
Canvasback
Male produces a low, cooing purr; female gives a harsh, rolling quacking series. Males whisper-call in rolling, cooing notes during courtship; female's harsh quacking is emphatic on North American marshes.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Resident across South and Southeast Asia, from India to southern China and the Philippines. Non-migratory in most of its range.
Canvasback
Breeds in wooded wetlands of Canada and the northern United States; winters in the southern US and Central America.
Statut de conservation
African Black Duck
Canvasback
How to Tell Them Apart
African Black Duck
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 …
Canvasback
Males have rich chestnut-red head and neck; black breast; pale canvas-gray body; white flanks. Sloping forehead profile with dark red bill and red eye. Females gray-brown with reddish-brown head. Dimorphic …
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.
Canvasback
A large diving duck with a distinctive sloping forehead and long sloped bill. Males have a rich chestnut-red head, black breast, and pale white-grey body; females are grey-brown. Named for its canvas-like grey back. Dives for aquatic roots and tubers, especially wild celery.