American Black Duck

Anas rubripes

The American Black Duck is a beautiful bird with dark feathers and a friendly quack! They love to swim in ponds and lakes, looking for tasty plants and insects to eat.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The American Black Duck is a dark-bodied duck with a lighter, brownish-tan head and a yellowish-orange bill. Its unique purplish-blue wing patch (speculum) has distinct black borders, making it visually distinct from the brighter Mallard.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusAnas

American Black Duck

Interesting facts

Female black ducks often reuse the very same nesting spot year after year!

Their dark feathers help them stay warm by absorbing more sunlight in cold weather!

They can cross-breed with Mallards, creating unique "hybrid" ducklings!

Unlike many birds, they only shed their flight feathers once a year, usually in summer!

Special abilities

American Black Ducks can quietly forage by dabbling or tipping their bodies in shallow water, letting them find food unnoticed.

American Black Ducks have dense feathers and a fat layer that keeps them warm, allowing them to stay in icy northern waters.

American Black Ducks can spring vertically into flight from water or land, which helps them quickly escape from predators.

Measurements & details

Length: 50-60 cm
Wingspan: 85-95 cm
Weight: 0.7-1.6 kg
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Top Speed: 88 km/h
Clutch Size: 6-14
Incubation: 26-30 days
Migration Distance: 1000 km

Diet & Feeding

They eat a mix of plants and small animals found in the water and on land.

Age differences: Young ducklings eat more insects and invertebrates for growth.

Primary Foods

Seeds
Aquatic plants
Insects
Small crustaceans
Mollusks
Small fish

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Bald Eagles are a major aerial predator of adult ducks.

shelters

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Often builds nests on abandoned muskrat lodges for protection.

depends on

Broadleaf Cattail

Typha latifolia

Uses dense cattail marshes for nesting cover and food.

eaten by

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Large fish like pike can prey on young ducklings underwater.

eats

Floating Pondweed

Potamogeton natans

Feeds on the seeds and vegetative parts of pondweed.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.