Black Duck

At a glance

Black Duck (Anas rubripes) is an IUCN Least Concern birds with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.

Confirmed by 23,319 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Massachusetts the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• One of the darkest-plumaged dabbling ducks in North America, with rich chocolate-brown body feathers.
• Males and females look nearly identical—unusual for dabbling ducks, where males are typically colorful.
• Their wing speculum is deep purple bordered by black, not white like the similar mallard's.
• Populations have declined sharply since the mid-20th century, largely due to hybridization with expanding mallards.
• Primarily found in eastern North America, from the Great Lakes east to the Atlantic coast.

Where Black Duck are seen

• Ontario4,725 iNat obs
• Nova Scotia3,765 iNat obs
• Massachusetts2,146 iNat obs
• New York2,020 iNat obs
• New Jersey1,343 iNat obs
• Quebec1,092 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Black Duck

• ArkansasUnited States · official source

Background

The American black duck (Anas rubripes) is a large dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It was described by William Brewster in 1902. It is the heaviest species in the Anas genus, weighing 720–1,640 g (1.59–3.62 lb) on average and measuring 54–59 cm (21–23 in) in length with a 88–95 cm (35–37 in) wingspan. It somewhat resembles the female mallard in coloration, but has a darker plumage. The male…

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Black Duck article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.