Black Duck

Black Duck, common name for a duck closely related to the mallard and often hunted for sport. The black duck ranges in length from 53 to 65 cm (21 to 26 in). Both sexes are dark brown with pale brown feathers on the head. The wings have metallic violet patches, and distinctive white linings on the underside. The bills are dull green in females and bright yellow in males. Black ducks are able to quickly reach flight speeds of over 40 km/h (26 mph).

Black ducks live near estuaries, marshes, rivers, and lakes throughout eastern North America. They migrate in late fall and spend winters along the Gulf Coast. Black ducks are dabbling ducks—instead of diving, they tip up their tails and bob forward in shallow water to probe for food with their wide bills. They are omnivorous (eating both plant and animal material) and feed on roots, seeds, grasses, aquatic insects, mollusks, and crustaceans.

Black ducks find a mate in early fall and the pair remain together until the following summer. They build nests on the ground (usually near water) out of grasses and reeds. From April through June, the female will lay 5 to 14 greenish or cream-white eggs. She incubates, or warms, the eggs by sitting on them for 26 to 29 days until they hatch.

Black ducks are better adapted for life in wooded areas than mallards. As a result, the clearing of forests within their range has favored mallards and drastically reduced some black duck populations. Since the two species can cross-breed, the remaining black duck populations have been further diminished.

Scientific classification: Black ducks are members of the duck family, Anatidae, in the order Anseriformes, and are classified as Anas rubripes.

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