African Black Duck
Anas sparsa
The African Black Duck (Anas sparsa) is a uncommon ducks, swans, and geese found in 21 countries, weighing about 981 g. The African black duck is a species of duck of the genus Anas.
About the African Black Duck
The African black duck is a species of duck of the genus Anas. It is genetically closest to the mallard group, but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and plumage; it is accordingly placed in the subgenus Melananas pending further research.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The African black duck is a black duck with pronounced white marks on its back, a dark bill, and orange legs and feet. A purpish-blue speculum is often visible, especially in flight. It lives in central and southern Africa. It is also known as the black river duck, or (A. s. leucostigma) West African black duck or Ethiopian black duck. It is a medium-sized duck, with a length of 48–57 cm (19–22 in). The male is larger than the female.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Burundi, United Kingdom.
When to see it
The African Black Duck can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an African Black Duck?
- The African black duck is a black duck with pronounced white marks on its back, a dark bill, and orange legs and feet. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an African Black Duck?
- The African Black Duck is a large sized bird weighing about 981 g.
- Where can you see an African Black Duck?
- The African Black Duck occurs in 21 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
- What birds look similar to an African Black Duck?
- The African Black Duck is most easily confused with the Cape Teal, the Andean Teal and the White-cheeked Pintail.
- Is the African Black Duck endangered?
- The African Black Duck is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the African Black Duck for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.