Mallard vs Surf Scoter

Anas platyrhynchos 对比 Melanitta perspicillata

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Mallard Surf Scoter
学名 Anas platyrhynchos Melanitta perspicillata
Anseriformes Anseriformes
Anatidae Anatidae
保护状况 Least Concern Least Concern
体长 58.0 cm (22.8 in)
翼展 90.0 cm (35.4 in) 45.3 cm (17.8 in)
体重 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) 1019.75 g (35.97 oz)
食性 Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and herring spawn in coastal waters. Uses its distinctive swollen bill …
产卵数 4-18 5-9
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Mallard 58.0 cm
Surf Scoter
翼展
Mallard 90.0 cm
Surf Scoter 45.3 cm
体重
Mallard 1100.0 g
Surf Scoter 1019.75 g
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Habitat Comparison

共同栖息地

Mallard only

Surf Scoter only

Mallard

Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.

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Song & Call Comparison

Mallard

鸣唱

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.

Surf Scoter

鸣唱

Male produces a low, gurgling burble; female gives a crow-like, guttural cawing. The female's rasping, crow-like call is startling; males make soft, liquid gurgling notes during courtship.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Mallard

Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.

Surf Scoter

Breeds in boreal forests and tundra of northern North America. Winters along Pacific and Atlantic coasts south to Baja California and the Carolinas.

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保护状况

Least Concern

Mallard

Least Concern

Surf Scoter

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How to Tell Them Apart

Mallard

羽毛

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

Surf Scoter

羽毛

Male is entirely glossy black except for white patches on forehead and nape; bill tricolored orange, red, and white with black spot. Female sooty-brown with two white facial patches.

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About These Birds

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.

Surf Scoter

丑鸭(白头黑海番鸭)因雄鸟嘴部具大型橙白色斑块,似戴眼镜而得名。全身黑色,嘴部橙白黑三色,头部具白色和锈色斑点;雌鸟褐色。繁殖于北美北部泰加林的湖泊,越冬于北太平洋和大西洋沿岸。善深潜,以软体动物和甲壳类为食。

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