Fauna Flora Photography

American Black Duck Anas rubripes

This species is a large dabbling duck somehow resembling the female Mallard in coloration but has a darker plumage. Male and female are similar in appearance. It is an endemic species of North-America, usually found in coastal marshlands and freshwaters.

Taxonomy

Aves > Anseriformes > Anatidae

Names in different Languages

GermanDunkelente
EnglishAmerican Black Duck
FrenchCanard noir
SpanishÁnade sombrío

How to Identify

The similarity with Mallard makes it difficult to identify this species. A distinctive mark is the lack of a white line between the wing’s blue posterior part and the brown anterior part. It is also less common than Mallard around Montreal.

Where When to Spot

The only time I was sure about the identification of this species was with the couple I observed in a pond in the National Park Mont Saint Bruno.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Mont Saint Bruno 1 0 0 0
Parc Angrignon 1 0 0 0
Parc Île-de-la-Visitation 3 0 0 0
  5 0 0 0

Number of times a species has been observed, identified, and recorded. A species is reported only once per visit to a park.

Photos of American Black Duck

Videos of American Black Duck

You can watch these videos and many more on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.

References


Last updated on 2023-06-28. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.