The American black duck is 21.3-23.2 inches (54-59 cm) in length with a wingspan of 34.6-37.4 inches (88-95 cm).
It is not really black; it is more of a dusky brown. In fact, it is sometimes known as the dusky duck.
Its neck and head are a lighter color than its body. Its bill is olive-yellow to orange, and its wings are white on the underside and have a purplish-blue patch on the upper side.
Males and females look alike, but females tend to be a bit lighter.
The American black duck is a dabbling duck and feeds in shallow water. It tips its head down and lifts its tail up so it can probe or dabble in the mud and water for submerged plants and seeds.
It also eats mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae, tadpoles, small fish, and frogs. It sometimes skims the surface of the water for seeds and aquatic invertebrates.
Breeding begins in March and can continue until May, depending on latitude. The female selects a nest site in a clump of grass, under a shrub or tree, or in a fork or hole in a tree.
The male defends the territory while the female builds the nest. If she is building a ground nest, she digs a scrape with her bill and feet and lines it with grass, feathers, and other plant materials. She also plucks down from her body and lines the nest with it. She lays 7-17 eggs. When the female has to leave the nest, she covers the eggs with down to keep them warm.
The male stays near the nest but doesn’t incubate the eggs. He leaves as the incubation period draws to a close and flies to an isolated area to molt.
The ducklings hatch in about 29 days. Shortly after hatching, the female leads them to water. For the first couple of weeks, the ducklings eat mosquito larvae and other aquatic invertebrates from the water’s surface. As they get older, they begin eating tadpoles and snails. Eventually, they start dabbling under the water for seeds, tubers, and aquatic plants.
The female stays with the ducklings for seven to eight weeks until their flight feathers develop. She then leaves the ducklings and begins her molt.
The oldest American black duck on record lived to be 26 years and 5 months old.
Like other dabbling ducks, the American black duck takes off straight from the water to fly. Diving ducks have to run across the water to get up enough speed to launch themselves into flight.
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The American black duck breeds across New Hampshire and is a year-round resident in the Seacoast and the Merrimack and Connecticut River valleys.
The American black duck breeds across Canada from Manitoba east to Newfoundland and south to Minnesota and eastern Virginia in the U.S.
It winters from southern Minnesota and Nova Scotia, Canada, south to southern Texas and central Florida.
Over the last 40 years, inbreeding between American black ducks and mallards, combined with habitat loss and competition with mallards for resources, has led to a decline in the number of American black ducks.
In areas where there is a lot of hunting and fishing, lead poisoning from shot and fishing tackle has poisoned many American black ducks.
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