African Black Duck vs Gadwall
Anas sparsa comparé à Mareca strepera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | African Black Duck | Gadwall |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Anas sparsa | Mareca strepera |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 49,5 cm (19.5 in) | 50,3 cm (19.8 in) |
| Poids | 996,8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 857,5 g (30.25 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Dabbles for seeds and aquatic invertebrates; diet shifts toward invertebrates in spring; forages in shallow … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-9 | 5-15 |
| 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.
Gadwall
Freshwater lakes, reservoirs, marshes, and rivers with emergent vegetation across Eurasia and North America. Winters on large open wetlands and coastal estuaries. Range and population increasing in Europe.
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.
Gadwall
Male utters a soft, nasal nheck note; female produces a series of descending, quacking notes. Both sexes are relatively quiet; female's quacking is softer and less strident than a Mallard.
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.
Gadwall
Found year-round in Australia and New Zealand; nomadic in arid Australia, following temporary rainfall-fed wetlands.
Statut de conservation
African Black Duck
Gadwall
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 …
Gadwall
Males have finely vermiculated gray-brown plumage with black rump and undertail. White speculum patch diagnostic in flight. Females mottled brown like Mallard but smaller and with orange-sided bill. Subtle but …
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.
Gadwall
A medium-sized dabbling duck. Males appear grey-brown but are intricately patterned with fine grey vermiculations, black rump, and white speculum. Females resemble Mallard but with orange-sided bill. Widespread across Eurasia and North America. Feeds by dabbling and grazing.