African Black Duck vs Black-headed Duck

Anas sparsa so với Heteronetta atricapilla

Side-by-Side Comparison

Thuộc Tính African Black Duck Black-headed Duck
Tên Khoa Học Anas sparsa Heteronetta atricapilla
Bộ Anseriformes Anseriformes
Họ Anatidae Anatidae
Tình Trạng Bảo Tồn Least Concern Least Concern
Chiều Dài
Chiều Dài Sải Cánh 49,5 cm (19.5 in) 34,7 cm (13.7 in)
Khối Lượng 996,8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) 528,5 g (18.64 oz)
Chế Độ Ăn -- Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet …
Số Trứng 4-9 2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Môi Trường Sống Chung

African Black Duck only

Black-headed Duck only

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.

Song & Call Comparison

African Black Duck

Tiếng Hót

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.

Black-headed Duck

Tiếng Hót

Male gives a soft, raspy peeping note; female produces a muted quack. An obligate brood parasite with reduced vocalizations; subdued calls suit its secretive lifestyle among Argentine reeds.

Geographic Range & Migration

African Black Duck

Black-headed Duck

Resident in southern South America from southern Brazil and Bolivia south to Argentina and Chile. Found on lakes and marshes in open lowlands.

Tình Trạng Bảo Tồn

Least Concern

African Black Duck

Least Concern

Black-headed Duck

How to Tell Them Apart

African Black Duck

Bộ Lông

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 …

Black-headed Duck

Bộ Lông

Male has distinctive jet-black head and neck, warm chestnut-brown back, and pale buff underparts; blue-grey bill with red base. Female is streaked brown above with pale supercilium and whitish underparts.

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.

Black-headed Duck

A small diving duck (~530 g) of South America, family Anatidae, and the sole member of genus Heteronetta. Inhabits freshwater marshes and lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Unique among waterfowl as an obligate brood parasite, laying eggs in nests of coots and other waterbirds. Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family