Back to the BirdIndex	American Black Duck Anas rubripes
Anatomy of a Bird

A duck of the Northeast, the American Black Duck shows clear affinities with the Mallard. Populations declined precipitously in the mid-20th century, but the combined conservation efforts of the United States and Canada may have the numbers on the rise.

Cool Facts

• The American Black Duck occasionally strays from its normal range. One female banded in New Brunswick, Canada turned up in France.
• The American Black Duck has suffered somewhat from the introduction of captive-raised Mallards into its breeding range. The species hybridize (interbreed), and the Mallard may take over some breeding spots from the black duck. Still, the black duck seems to be holding its own in most of its range.

Range Map

© 2003 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Habitat

• Canard noir (French)
• Ánade sombrio americano (Spanish)

• Breeds in a variety of wetland habitats, from salt marshes to beaver ponds, river islands, and boreal bogs.
• Winters primarily in salt water along coasts, but in a variety of freshwater areas inland.

• Female Mallard has bold white borders to speculum, orange bill, whitish tail feathers, pale belly, and is paler overall.
• Eclipse male Mallard has paler appearance, rusty wash on chest, and white borders to the speculum.
• Mottled Duck has paler appearance, broader buffy edging and internal markings on the body feathers, a greenish-blue speculum with a narrow white trailing edge, and a black spot at the base of the bill at the gape.
• Male hybrid of Mallard and American Black Duck usually has some green on the head.

American Black Duck numbers declined significantly in mid 20th century. Hunting was restricted in 1983, and populations stabilized and then started to increase. The United States and Canada started the Black Duck Joint Venture

Description

Adult Description

• Large dabbling duck.
• Body dark blackish-brown.
• Head and neck lighter brown.
• Legs and feet red.
• White underwing linings contrast sharply with dark body in flight.

Male Description

Female Description

Immature Description

Body

• Length Range: 48-58 cm (19-23 in)
• Weight: 1406 g (49.6 oz)
• Size: Large (16 - 32 in)
• Color Primary: Brown, Sheen or Iridescence
• Underparts: Brown-black
• Upperparts: Brown-black
• Back Pattern: Scaled or Scalloped
• Belly Pattern: Scaled or Scalloped
• Breast Pattern: Mottled

Head

• Bill Shape: Spatulate
• Eye Color: Medium brown.
• Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped, Streaked
• Crown Color: Gray-brown
• Forehead Color: Gray-brown
• Nape Color: Dark Brown
• Throat Color: Gray-brown
• Cere color: No Data

Flight

• Flight Pattern: Direct flight with rapid wing beats.
• Wingspan Range: 84-91 cm (33-36 in)
• Wing Shape: Tapered-Wings
• Tail Shape: Pointed Tail
• Tail Pattern: Dark Brown
• Upper Tail: Dark Brown
• Under Tail: Brown-black
• Leg Color: Orange

Breeding

• Breeding Location: Lakes, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps
• Breeding Type: Monogamous, Solitary nester
• Breeding Population: Fairly common
• Egg Color: Creamy white to green buff
• Number of Eggs: 6 - 12
• Incubation Days: 26 - 29
• Egg Incubator: Female
• Nest Material: Scrape on the ground, constructed from leaves, grass, twigs, pine needles, and lined with down and feathers
• Migration: Migratory
• Condition at Hatching: Covered in down and able to leave the nest soon after hatching.

Behavior

Food

Seeds, roots, stems, grain, aquatic plants, aquatic insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and some fish.