Canvasback vs Mallard
Aythya valisineria comparé à Anas platyrhynchos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Canvasback | Mallard |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Aythya valisineria | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | 58,0 cm (22.8 in) |
| Envergure | 44,7 cm (17.6 in) | 90,0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Poids | 1223,25 g (43.15 oz) | 1100,0 g (38.80 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet dominated by … | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … |
| Taille de la couvée | 2-16 | 4-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
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.
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Canvasback
Breeds in wooded wetlands of Canada and the northern United States; winters in the southern US and Central America.
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Statut de conservation
Canvasback
Mallard
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
About These Birds
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.
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.