Species: Anas rubripes

American Black Duck

Species

Birds

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Anseriformes

Family

Anatidae

Genus

Anas

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102967

Classification

Other Global Common Names

canard noir

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Waterfowl

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Anseriformes - Anatidae - Anas - Appears to constitute a superspecies with A. PLATYRHYNCHOS and A FULVIGULA (AOU 1998). Commonly interbreeds with and sometimes considered conspecific with A. PLATYRHYNCHOS and/or other species (AOU 1983). Some authors suggest that it might be taxonomically appropriate to recognize the black duck as a dark morph (not subspecies) of the mallard, based on genetic and behavioral similarity and frequent hybridization (Ankney et al. 1986) in this species (AOU 1983). Mitochondrial DNA data indicate an extremely close evolutionary relationship between mallards and black ducks, and, in conjunction with geographic distribnutions, suggest that the black duck is a recent evolutionary derivative of a more broadly distributed mallard-black duck ancestor (Avise et al. 1991). See Livezey (1991) for a phylogenetic analysis and classification (supergenera, subgenera, infragenera, etc.) of dabbling ducks based on comparative morphology.

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description

A duck.

Migration

false - true - true - 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.

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

true

Food 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.

Reproduction Comments

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.

Ecology Comments

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).

Length

Weight

1400

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

1996-11-21

Global Status Last Changed

1996-11-21

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - 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).

Global Range Code

Global Range Description

>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102967