Anas rubripes

At close range, the American Black Duck may be identified by its dark color, dull-yellow bill, and white under-wing patches. However, due to its large size (20-25 inches) and familiar oval-shaped body, the American Black Duck is often mistaken at a distance for the more ubiquitous Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Separating American Black Ducks from the Mallards has become increasingly difficult as Mallards have begun to interbreed with this species, producing hybrids with characteristics intermediate to those of the two parent species. Male and female pure-bred American Black Ducks are similar to one another in all seasons. The American Black Duck breeds across northeastern North America from the eastern edge of the Great Plains east to the Atlantic coast and from the Hudson Bay south to the Mid-Atlantic region. Northern populations migrate south in winter, when they may be found in the southeast and along the Ohio River Valley. Populations in the northeastern United States and in the Mid-Atlantic region migrate short distances (if at all), and this species may be found all year in these areas. American Black Ducks breed along lakes, streams, and in freshwater and saltwater marshes. Similar habitats are utilized by this species in winter. Most hybrids occur where appropriate habitats for American Black Ducks overlap with those of Mallards, especially in more built-up areas. Like the Mallard, this species is a generalist feeder, eating grasses and aquatic plants, seeds, grains, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. American Black Ducks are often found floating on the water’s surface, occasionally dabbling (submerging their head and chest while their legs and tail stick out of the water) to find food. These ducks are also capable of taking off directly from the water. They may also be found on land, where they may be observed walking, or in the air, where they may be observed making swift and direct flights between bodies of water. Small numbers of American Black Ducks may be looked for among larger flocks of Mallards. This species is most active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

Anas_rubripes breeds from Manitoba southeast to Minnesota, east through Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and in the forested portions of eastern Canada to nortern Quebec and northern Labrador. The black duck winters in the southern parts of its breeding range and south to the Gulf Coast, Florida, and Bermuda (Mcauley, et al 1998).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

NE North America; winters to Bahamas and Gulf Coast.

The Americanw black duck inhabits primarily the eastern North American
seaboard but can be found inland as far as Texas in the south and
Saskatchewan in the north. It ranges from the northern peninsula of
Quebec to southern Florida [10]. It breeds in northern Canada and the
United States, is a year-round resident in the central states, and
winters from southern Illinois south to Florida [13].

Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, North West Atlantic, Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone

AL AR CT DE FL GA IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO NH NJ NY OH OK OR PA RI SC TN TX UT VT VA WV WI

NB NF NT NS ON PE PQ SK

Caribbean, North America; range extends from Northern Labrador to southern North Carolina

Anas rubripes breeds from Manitoba southeast to Minnesota, east through Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and in the forested portions of eastern Canada to nortern Quebec and northern Labrador. The black duck winters in the southern parts of its breeding range and south to the Gulf Coast, Florida, and Bermuda (Mcauley, et al 1998).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDING: northern Saskatchewan to Labrador and Newfoundland, south to northern South Dakota, southern Wisconsin, central Indiana, central West Virginia, and North Carolina on Atlantic coast. NON-BREEDING: southeastern Minnesota to southern Ontario and Nova Scotia, south to Texas, Gulf Coast, and Florida. The highest winter densities occur along the Maumee River in Ohio, along the Kankakee River in Illinois, along the Mississippi River bordering Tennessee and extending along the Ohio River to southwestern Indiana, in southwestern Tennessee and northern Alabama, and along the U.S. Atlantic coast from eastern North Carolina to Maine (Root 1988).

Eastern and midwestern Canada and United States.

Males in breeding plumage have a buffy head that is heavily streaked with black, especially through the eye and on the tip of the head. The upperparts, including the tail and wing are blackish brown. The underparts feathers are dark sooty brown, with pale reddish and buff margins. The secondaries are iridescent blueish purple, with a black subterminal border and a narrow white tip, sometimes not present. The tertials are glossy black next to the speculum, but otherwise are gray to blackish brown, and the underwing surface is silvery white. The iris is brown, the bill is greenish yellow to bright yellow, with a black nail, and the feet and legs are orange red. Females also have a greenish to olive-colored bill, with small black spotting, and dusky to olive-colored legs and feet. Juveniles resemble adults, but are more heavily streaked on the breast and underparts, since these feathers have broader buff margins but darker tips. In the field the Black Duck has a body shaped like a Mallard. In flight, Black Ducks appear to be nearly black, with an underwing coloration that is in contrast with the rest of their plumage (Johngard, 1978).

Range mass: 1160 to 1330 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 3.6076 W.

Males in breeding plumage have a buffy head that is heavily streaked with black, especially through the eye and on the tip of the head. The upperparts, including the tail and wing are blackish brown. The underparts feathers are dark sooty brown, with pale reddish and buff margins. The secondaries are iridescent blueish purple, with a black subterminal border and a narrow white tip, sometimes not present. The tertials are glossy black next to the speculum, but otherwise are gray to blackish brown, and the underwing surface is silvery white. The iris is brown, the bill is greenish yellow to bright yellow, with a black nail, and the feet and legs are orange red. Females also have a greenish to olive-colored bill, with small black spotting, and dusky to olive-colored legs and feet. Juveniles resemble adults, but are more heavily streaked on the breast and underparts, since these feathers have broader buff margins but darker tips. In the field the Black Duck has a body shaped like a Mallard. In flight, Black Ducks appear to be nearly black, with an underwing coloration that is in contrast with the rest of their plumage (Johngard, 1978).

Range mass: 1160 to 1330 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 3.6076 W.

Length: 58 cm

Weight: 1400 grams

Length: 57.5 cm., Wingspan: 85 cm.

The Black Duck during the breeding season prefers a variety of fresh and brackish waters in a forest environment. These include: alkaline marshes, acid bogs and muskegs, lakes, ponds, and stream margins, as well as tidewater habitats such as bays and estuaries. The most favored areas are brackish estuarine bays with extensive adjacent agricultural lands. Outside of the breeding season the duck lives on large, open lagoons and on the coast, even in rough sea waters (Merendino and Ankney, 1994).

The northernmost breeders descend to lower latitudes to winter on the Atlantic seaboard of North America, usually as far south as Texas. Some reports have been made of observation of Black Ducks in Korea, Puerto Rico, and Western Europe, where some have stayed for an extended period of time (Hoyo, et al 1992).

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams; coastal

More info for the terms: cover, hardwood

During the nesting season American black ducks use wooded areas more
than other dabbling ducks do. However, because they seem to use a wide
variety of habitats, it is difficult to determine specific requirements
on a broad scale [13]. For brood rearing, American black ducks use
emergent wetlands, marshes, flooded hardwood areas, sloughs, creeks, or
ponds [6]. During winter they usually gather on large bodies of water
or on coastlines where there is abundant plant food [13].

American black ducks use coastal areas or ice-free areas on winter range
for feeding. They need protection from winter storms; this can be
provided by open water or high banks along open water or large
esturaries [9]. A mix of marine and estuarine habitats offers the
greatest variety of food and cover, although specific data is
unavailable. For detailed information on habitat suitablity index
models for winter American black ducks refer to Lewis and Garrison [9].
Others have detailed information on determining suitable nesting and
brood-rearing habitat [6].

More info for the term: tree

American black ducks prefer coastal brackish marshes and bays with
adjacent agricultural lands [9]. They also inhabit marshy inland lake
shores, sedge (Carex spp.) meadows, bogs, conifer uplands, wet hardwood
forests, and islands in large bodies of water [10,13]. American black
ducks seem to prefer more wooded habitat compared to the mallard [10].
They nest in tree cavities, old bird nests, on muskrat (Ondatra
zibethica) lodges, or on the ground either near water or as far as
one-half mile from the water's edge [10].

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: swamp

1 Jack pine
5 Balsam fir
12 Black spruce
13 Black spruce - tamarack
16 Aspen
17 Pin cherry
18 Paper birch
24 Hemlock - yellow birch
38 Tamarack
63 Cottonwood
87 Sweet gum - yellow-poplar
88 Willow oak - water oak - diamondleaf oak
89 Live oak
91 Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak
92 Sweetgum - willow oak
93 Sugarberry - American elm - green ash
94 Sycamore - sweetgum - American elm
95 Black willow
96 Overcup oak - water hickory
100 Pondcypress
101 Baldcypress
102 Baldcypress - tupelo
103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
104 Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay
107 White spruce
201 White spruce
202 White spruce - paper birch
203 Balsam poplar
204 Black spruce
251 White spruce - aspen
252 Paper birch
253 Black spruce - white spruce
254 Black spruce - paper birch

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: bog

K073 Northern cordgrass prairie
K078 Southern cordgrass prairie
K090 Live oak - sea oats
K091 Cypress savanna
K093 Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
K094 Conifer bog
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K096 Northeastern spruce - fir forest
K097 Southeastern spruce - fir forest
K098 Northern floodplain forest
K099 Maple - basswood forest
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K101 Elm - ash forest
K103 Mixed mesophytic forest
K106 Northern hardwoods
K107 Northern hardwoods - fir forest
K108 Northern hardwoods - spruce forest
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K113 Southern floodplain forest
K114 Pocosin

NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES :
NO-ENTRY

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES14 Oak-pine

bays, estuaries, marches, lagoons, and lakes

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater
• Marine

The Black Duck during the breeding season prefers a variety of fresh and brackish waters in a forest environment. These include: alkaline marshes, acid bogs and muskegs, lakes, ponds, and stream margins, as well as tidewater habitats such as bays and estuaries. The most favored areas are brackish estuarine bays with extensive adjacent agricultural lands. Outside of the breeding season the duck lives on large, open lagoons and on the coast, even in rough sea waters (Merendino and Ankney, 1994).

The northernmost breeders descend to lower latitudes to winter on the Atlantic seaboard of North America, usually as far south as Texas. Some reports have been made of observation of Black Ducks in Korea, Puerto Rico, and Western Europe, where some have stayed for an extended period of time (Hoyo, et al 1992).

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams; coastal

Depth range based on 24 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 7 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 0
  Temperature range (°C): 3.407 - 12.690
  Nitrate (umol/L): 1.832 - 3.634
  Salinity (PPS): 31.213 - 33.969
  Oxygen (ml/l): 6.278 - 7.540
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.417 - 0.683
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.096 - 4.608

Graphical representation

Temperature range (°C): 3.407 - 12.690

Nitrate (umol/L): 1.832 - 3.634

Salinity (PPS): 31.213 - 33.969

Oxygen (ml/l): 6.278 - 7.540

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.417 - 0.683

Silicate (umol/l): 2.096 - 4.608
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Comments: Shallow margins of lakes, streams, bays mud flats, and open waters. Nests in both dry and wet woodlands. Wide variety of wetland habitats in both freshwater and marine situations, in and around marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, bays, estuaries, and tidal flats. As a result of a study of postfledging habitat use, Frazer et al. (1990) recommended maintaining large (30-50 ha) marshes containing dense emergent vegetation near a complex of diverse wetland types. BREEDING: Breeding habitat and nest sites very diverse; favors wooded swamps and marshes, brackish or freshwater. In central Ontario, preferred small fertile wetlands with a moderate amount of open water and an irregular shoreline (Merendino and Ankney 1994). Usually nests on ground in concealing vegetation, rarely in abandoned tree nest of other bird species. Significant numbers may return to the natal home range to breed.

Marshes, bays, estuaries, ponds, rivers, and lakes. Winters mostly in coastal areas.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Reaches northern breeding areas by May, departs September- October; migrations strongly correlated with availability of food and open water. Southern and coastal populations more sedentary. Exhibits stronger fidelity to coastal wintering sites than to inland sites (Diefenbach et al. 1988). Migrates at night in groups of about 12-20.

Birds living in the interior travel farther than coastal populations. Migration occurs at night.

The American Black Duck eats seeds and vegetative parts of aquatic plants and crop plants. They also consume a rather high proportion of invertebrates (insects, molluscs, crustaceans) in spring and summer. They feed by grazing, probing, dabbling or upending in shallow water. They occasionally dive (Hoyo, et al 1992).

Aquatic invertebrates are the major food for nesting females and young
American black ducks [13]. Other foods include upland grasses, crops
such as blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), oats, buckwheat, corn, and
potatoes. They also eat clams, mussels, some fish, eelgrass (Aostera
marina), wigeongrass (Ruppia maritima), cordgrass (Spartina spp.),
wildrice (Zizania aquatica), pondweed (Potamogeton spp.), arrowhead
(Sagittaria spp.), burreed (Sparganium spp.), bulrush (Scirpus spp.),
sedge (Carex spp.), and the seeds of oaks (Quercus spp.), baldcypress
(Taxodium distichum), tupelo (Nyssa spp.), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus
spp.) [9,13].

The American Black Duck eats seeds and vegetative parts of aquatic plants and crop plants. They also consume a rather high proportion of invertebrates (insects, molluscs, crustaceans) in spring and summer. They feed by grazing, probing, dabbling or upending in shallow water. They occasionally dive (Hoyo, et al 1992).

Comments: Eats mainly plant material and small aquatic animals (insects, amphibians, etc.) in freshwater habitats, mostly mollusks and crustaceans in maritime habitat; usually feeds in shallow water where it can reach bottom by tipping up.

Diet varies with habitat. Freshwater - plant material. Saltwater - mussels, snails, clams, small crustaceans, and aquatic arthropods.

Humans are the most significant predator of the American black duck
[13]. Other predators include cats (Felidae) and dogs (Canidae); skunks
and weasels (Mustelidae); ravens and crows (Corvidae); opossum
(Didelphis virginiana), raccoon (Procyon lotor), snakes, turtles, and
fish [6].

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

>1,000,000 individuals

Comments: 3 million in 1985.

More info for the term: formation

Pair formation - mostly paired by autumn but can continue into winter.
Breeding/Nesting - March through June.
Incubation - 23 to 33 days.
Clutch - 7 to 12 eggs; birds may renest if first clutch is destroyed.
Fledge - 8 to 10 weeks.
Maturity - 1 year.
[10,13]

No information is available on the specific effects of fire on American
black ducks nor on their behavior following fire. However, specific
information regarding important plant species in American black duck
habitat is available through this database. Refer to species such as
Phragmites, Carex, Scirpus, Eleocharis, and Spartina.

In fall in eastern Maine and southwestern New Brunswick, maximum distance moved from roost to marsh averaged 10 km (range 1-43 km) (Frazer et al. 1990).

Comments: May feed at night in salt marshes in winter (Terres 1980).

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 317 months.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 317 months.

Maximum longevity: 26.4 years (wild)

Breeding starts in March and April. Nearly all first-year females attempt to nest and older females usually return to their nesting areas of previous years and very frequently use an old nest site, or at least nest within 100 yards of an old nest site. The nest consists of a scrape on the ground, concealed among vegetation, sometimes in tree-cavities or crotches and lined with plant matter and down. Eggs are deposited in the nest at the approximate rate of one per day, and clutch sizes generally average between 9 and 10 eggs, with smaller clutches typical of first-year females. The time at which pair bonds are broken varies somewhat, with males typically remaining with their females about two weeks into the incubation period. Male participation in the brood rearing has not been reported. The incubation period is about 27 days. A fairly high rate of nest destruction is done by crows and racoons (Norman and Winston 1996). The first broods hatch in early May and peak hatch is in early June (Longcore, et al 1998). Young are mobile 1-3 hours after hatching. The female-brood pair bond lasts 6-7 weeks (Ehrlich, et al 1988).

Average eggs per season: 9.5.

Average time to hatching: 27 days.

Average time to hatching: 28 days.

Average eggs per season: 9.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 365 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 365 days.

Breeding starts in March and April. Nearly all first-year females attempt to nest and older females usually return to their nesting areas of previous years and very frequently use an old nest site, or at least nest within 100 yards of an old nest site. The nest consists of a scrape on the ground, concealed among vegetation, sometimes in tree-cavities or crotches and lined with plant matter and down. Eggs are deposited in the nest at the approximate rate of one per day, and clutch sizes generally average between 9 and 10 eggs, with smaller clutches typical of first-year females. The time at which pair bonds are broken varies somewhat, with males typically remaining with their females about two weeks into the incubation period. Male participation in the brood rearing has not been reported. The incubation period is about 27 days. A fairly high rate of nest destruction is done by crows and racoons (Norman and Winston 1996). The first broods hatch in early May and peak hatch is in early June (Longcore, et al 1998). Young are mobile 1-3 hours after hatching. The female-brood pair bond lasts 6-7 weeks (Ehrlich, et al 1988).

Average eggs per season: 9.5.

Average time to hatching: 27 days.

Average time to hatching: 28 days.

Average eggs per season: 9.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 365 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 365 days.

Clutch size 5-17 (usually 9-10). Incubation 23-33 days, by female. Young tended by female, first fly at about 60 days. Can breed as yearling but many males not mated until about 2 or more years old.

Nest built by female near water hidden in vegetation clumps. 7-11 eggs are incubated by the female for 23-33 days. Young hatchlings can feed themselves, the female watches over them and leads them to water. Female abandons young after 2 months, when they have fledged.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 8 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 8
Specimens with Barcodes: 9
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not globally threatened.

The population of the Black Duck in the 1950's was around 2 million and since then has been on a steady decrease. Today the population has been calculated to be around 50,000. Causes of decline are unknown, but probably related to habitat loss, deterioration of water and food supplies, intense hunting pressure, and competition and hybridization with Mallards (Hoyo, et al 1992).

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

More info for the term: competition

The black duck is on The Blue List of the Audobon Society [15]. It is
declining rapidly due to many factors. There is no conclusive evidence
to determine the exact cause of the decline, although competition and
hybridization with the mallard as well as overhunting have been blamed
most frequently [3,10,13].

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: High population numbers, but declining due to overhunting and increasing hybridization.

Deforestation has allowed Mallards to move into Black Duck areas, and inter-breeding between these two ducks is harming the Black Duck population. There is no official conservation status for the American Black Duck.

Not globally threatened.

The population of the Black Duck in the 1950's was around 2 million and since then has been on a steady decrease. Today the population has been calculated to be around 50,000. Causes of decline are unknown, but probably related to habitat loss, deterioration of water and food supplies, intense hunting pressure, and competition and hybridization with Mallards (Hoyo, et al 1992).

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Comments: Has declined steadily over the past few decades (Ankney et al. 1987).

Global Long Term Trend: Decline of 50-70%

Comments: Greatly reduced due to drain and fill projects. Declined from 7 million in 1955 to 3 million in 1985.

Degree of Threat: B : Moderately threatened throughout its range, communities provide natural resources that when exploited alter the composition and structure of the community over the long-term, but are apparently recoverable

Comments: Recent decline attributed to habitat change and loss, hybridization and/or competition with Mallard (Ankney et al. 1987; see also Conroy et al. 1989, Ankney et al. 1989, and Merendino and Ankney 1994), and possibly over-hunting (Krementz et al. 1988), and the effects of acid precipitation and aerial spraying for spruce budworm (Ehrlich et al. 1992). Rusch et al. (1990) reviewed status and concluded that hunting and loss of breeding habitat apparently are not major factors in the decline; loss of winter habitat in some areas was noted. Chesapeake Bay breeding populations have declined since the 1950s; the decline is not related to changes in laying date, clutch size, or nest success (Krementz et al. 1991).

Early spring burning of coastal marshes can be used to force nesting
American black ducks out of those areas where nests are likely to be
destroyed by flooding [6].

The American black duck is being replaced by the mallard as the most
important nesting species along the East Coast of North America [4].
Because they use a variety of habitats, it may be best to determine what
areas are used locally and then protect and enhance those areas [6].
Some techniques for improving and creating brood-rearing habitat include
establishing stands of known foods, flooding wetland areas 2 to 24
inches (5-61 cm) deep, and creating visual isolation between feeding
areas to protect against predators [6]. To create nesting habitat
construct level ditches, pits, small dams for runoff ponds, or blast
potholes. For more detailed information refer to Kirby [6].

REFERENCES :
NO-ENTRY

Preserve Selection and Design Considerations: As a result of a study of postfledging habitat use, Frazer et al. (1990) recommended maintaining large (30-50 ha) marshes containing dense emergent vegetation near a complex of diverse wetland types.

Biological Research Needs: Research the effects of acid precipitation on its food sources.

Global Protection: Few (1-3) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Comments: Some breeding areas protected within the national park system.

Needs: Moratorium on hunting. Increase management practices that create suitable habitat.

The Black Duck is an important waterfowl of North American hunters and has been for many years.

The Black Duck is an important waterfowl of North American hunters and has been for many years.