African Black Duck vs Cape Shoveler
Anas sparsa comparé à Spatula smithii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | African Black Duck | Cape Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Anas sparsa | Spatula smithii |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 49,5 cm (19.5 in) | 45,8 cm (18.0 in) |
| Poids | 996,8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 629,75 g (22.21 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | -- | Eats seeds, plant matter, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more invertebrate-rich in … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-9 | 5-12 |
| 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.
Cape Shoveler
Freshwater and saline lakes, estuaries, and wetlands across southern Africa from Zimbabwe south to the Cape. Most common on the Western Cape. Tolerates saline habitats better than most ducks.
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.
Cape Shoveler
Male utters a low, grunting tok note; female produces a series of soft quacks. Pairs vocalize quietly at Cape wetlands; female's quacking call is louder and more emphatic than male's.
Geographic Range & Migration
African Black Duck
Cape Shoveler
Breeds in sub-Arctic wetlands of Eurasia; winters on lakes and reservoirs from western Europe to eastern China and Japan.
Statut de conservation
African Black Duck
Cape Shoveler
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 …
Cape Shoveler
Dull olive-brown body mottled dark; males slightly paler with yellow-orange eye. Pale blue-gray forewing and green speculum in flight. Long spatulate bill dark. Orange-yellow legs. Sexes similar. South African endemic.
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.
Cape Shoveler
A medium-sized shoveler with a characteristic large spatula-shaped bill. Males have yellow-orange eyes, brown head, and spotted brownish body; females are mottled brown. Endemic to southern Africa. Found mainly on the Western Cape's lakes and saline pans.