The American Black Duck breed should be right up your alley if you’re looking for some unique ducks. There are many different types of black ducks that you can find in North America.
But the American Black Duck has one thing that sets it apart from the rest; its white belly feathers.
If you’re interested in learning more about this duck and how you can find them, keep reading! And don’t forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments!
1. American Black Duck
The American Black Duck is North America’s most common type of black duck. They are smaller than mallards with a dark brown body, black bill, and yellow eyes.
The males have green heads while the females have brown heads. These ducks are found in wooded areas near water and eat aquatic plants, insects, and small animals.
2. White Winged Scoter
Next on our list of black duck breeds is White Winged Scoter. It is a marine duck and is the most prominent member of the scoter family.
The adult male has a black head, neck, breast, and back with white wing patches. The adult female is similar but has a dark brown head and neck.
The White Winged Scoter breeds in Canada and the northern United States near large lakes and rivers. In winter, they migrate south to the United States and Mexico coasts.
3. Velvet Scoter
The Velvet Scoter is a large sea duck breed along Europe and Asia’s northern coasts. It is also found in Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
The male Velvet Scoter is all black with a white wing bar, while the female is dark brown with a white crescent on her face.
Meanwhile, both sexes have orange legs and feet. These duck breeds spend their winters in coastal waters, where they can be seen diving for food.
4. East Indie Duck
The East Indie Duck is a black duck native to eastern Asia. It is the most common type of black duck in North America and can be found in all states except Hawaii.
The East Indie Duck has a glossy black plumage with a purple sheen. They have an orange bill and legs. The females are similar in appearance to the males but are smaller.
These black duck breeds are also known to be excellent swimmers and can often be seen swimming in circles.
5. West Indian Whistling-Duck
The West Indian Whistling-Duck is a species of whistling-duck native to the Caribbean and South America. Despite its name, this duck can also be found in North America, specifically in Florida.
6. Swedish Blue Duck
The Swedish Blue Duck is a beautiful bird that is native to Scandinavia. It has a glossy blue-black plumage with a white chest and belly.
These black duck breeds are also excellent swimmers and can often be seen swimming in ponds and lakes. They are also good foragers and eat various foods, including insects, small mammals, and plants.
7. Cayuga Duck
The Cayuga duck is a domesticated duck created by crossing the Black East Indie and the Aylesbury ducks. This new breed was named after Cayuga Lake in New York, where they were first bred.
They are primarily black, with some white on their wings and tail feathers. The Cayuga duck is a good egg layer and typically lays between 140-160 eggs yearly. They are also good meat birds, with plump breasts and dark meat.
8. Cinnamon Teal
The Cinnamon Teal is a small dabbling duck easily distinguished by its reddish-brown plumage. It is the only North American duck with this coloring.
The Cinnamon Teal is found in marshes and ponds in the western United States and Mexico. In the spring, they migrate north to breed in Canada and Alaska. These black duck breeds are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant life and invertebrates.
9. Pacific Black Duck
The Pacific Black Duck is a subspecies of the well-known Mallard duck. They are found on the west coast of North America, from Alaska to California.
The Pacific Black Duck is slightly smaller than the Mallard and has darker plumage. These ducks are also known for their loud quacking noise.
10. Green-winged Teal
Black duck breeds are a species of waterfowl found in North America. There are many different types of black duck breeds, and the green-winged teal is one of them.
Black ducks get their name from their dark plumage, which results from melanism. The green-winged teal is the minor type of black duck, with a wingspan of about 17 inches.
In addition, Green-winged teals are also the fastest flying type of black duck, and they can reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour!
11. Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler is a breed of black duck found across North America. They are known for their long bill, which they use to sift through mud for food. These black duck breeds are also good swimmers and can often be seen swimming in formation.
12. Ring-necked Duck
The Ring-necked Duck is a medium-sized waterfowl with a long, dark bill. The male has a chestnut-brown head and neck, while the female has a brownish head and neck.
Meanwhile, both sexes have a light ring around the neck, where they get their name. Ring-necked Ducks are found in wooded lakes and ponds across North America.
They feed on aquatic plants and insects and will sometimes dive for food. In the winter, they often form large flocks on open water.
13. Black Scoter Duck
The Black Scoter Duck is a species of large sea duck. The adult male has a black body with white patches on the wings, while the female has a dark brown body.
These black duck breeds in northern Europe and Asia and winter in southern Europe, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.
They are excellent swimmers and divers and can stay underwater for up to a minute. Black Scoter Ducks are usually found near coasts and lakes, where they feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants.
14. African Black Duck
The African Black Duck is a large waterfowl found across sub-Saharan Africa. It is a duck family member and closely related to the Mallard.
The African Black Duck is a famous game bird and is hunted for its meat. The African Black Duck is also known to be a carrier of the avian influenza virus.
15. Muscovy Duck
The Muscovy Duck is a large, stocky duck with a long neck and bill. They are usually black and white but can also be brown or gray. Males have a large red fleshy caruncle on their heads, while females do not.
In addition, these black duck breeds are excellent swimmers and can often be seen swimming in ponds and lakes.
The Mottled Duck is another type of black duck found in North America. These ducks get their name from their mottled brown and black feathers.
They are smaller than Muscovy Ducks and have shorter necks and bills. Mottled Ducks are good swimmers but prefer to stay near the shoreline, where they can find food more efficiently.
16. Pomeranian Black Duck
The Pomeranian Black Duck is a beautiful bird native to North America. They are primarily found in the eastern and central United States but have also been spotted in Canada.
These black duck breeds get their name from their unique coloring, deep black with a greenish-purple sheen. Pomeranian Black Ducks are relatively small, only measuring about 16 inches long.
They have a wingspan of 26-30 inches and weigh between 2-3 pounds. The Pomeranian Black Duck is an excellent swimmer and flyer known for being very agile in the water.
Their diet consists mainly of plants and insects, which they find by diving underwater or foraging on the ground. These ducks mate for life and typically lay 7-12 eggs per clutch.
Conclusion
Black duck populations have declined significantly over the past few decades, but different types of black duck breeds are still found in North America.
These include the American Black Duck, the Mallard, the Mottled Duck, the Northern Pintail, the Green-winged Teal, the Wood Duck, and the Canvasback. While all of these black duck breeds are unique, they all share one common trait: their feathers are black.