American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

This species is a large dabbling duck, somehow resembling the female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in coloration but having darker plumage. Males and females are similar in appearance. It is a native species of North America, usually found in coastal marshlands and freshwater habitats.

🇫🇷	Canard noir
🇩🇪	Dunkelente
🇲🇽	Ánade sombrío

Taxonomy

Order	Anseriformes
Family	Anatidae

ID and Whereabouts

The similarity with Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 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 (Anas platyrhynchos) around Montreal.

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.

Location	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter
Parc Angrignon	x	-	-	-
Parc Mont Saint-Bruno	-	x	-	-
Parc Île-de-la-Visitation	x	-	-	-

"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from our park visit journals.

Characteristics

Length	54-59cm
Weight	720-1640g
Wingspan	88-95cm
Clutch Size	6-14 eggs
Incubation	25-26 days
Fledging	42-49 days
Sexual Maturity	1 year

Explore More

📖 For more information about this species: Wikipedia Page