American Black Duck

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REFERENCES :
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American black duck
black duck

More info for the term: competition

The black duck is on The Blue List of the Audobon Society [15]. It is
declining rapidly due to many factors. There is no conclusive evidence
to determine the exact cause of the decline, although competition and
hybridization with the mallard as well as overhunting have been blamed
most frequently [3,10,13].

More info for the terms: cover, hardwood

During the nesting season American black ducks use wooded areas more
than other dabbling ducks do. However, because they seem to use a wide
variety of habitats, it is difficult to determine specific requirements
on a broad scale [13]. For brood rearing, American black ducks use
emergent wetlands, marshes, flooded hardwood areas, sloughs, creeks, or
ponds [6]. During winter they usually gather on large bodies of water
or on coastlines where there is abundant plant food [13].

American black ducks use coastal areas or ice-free areas on winter range
for feeding. They need protection from winter storms; this can be
provided by open water or high banks along open water or large
esturaries [9]. A mix of marine and estuarine habitats offers the
greatest variety of food and cover, although specific data is
unavailable. For detailed information on habitat suitablity index
models for winter American black ducks refer to Lewis and Garrison [9].
Others have detailed information on determining suitable nesting and
brood-rearing habitat [6].

The Americanw black duck inhabits primarily the eastern North American
seaboard but can be found inland as far as Texas in the south and
Saskatchewan in the north. It ranges from the northern peninsula of
Quebec to southern Florida [10]. It breeds in northern Canada and the
United States, is a year-round resident in the central states, and
winters from southern Illinois south to Florida [13].

Aquatic invertebrates are the major food for nesting females and young
American black ducks [13]. Other foods include upland grasses, crops
such as blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), oats, buckwheat, corn, and
potatoes. They also eat clams, mussels, some fish, eelgrass (Aostera
marina), wigeongrass (Ruppia maritima), cordgrass (Spartina spp.),
wildrice (Zizania aquatica), pondweed (Potamogeton spp.), arrowhead
(Sagittaria spp.), burreed (Sparganium spp.), bulrush (Scirpus spp.),
sedge (Carex spp.), and the seeds of oaks (Quercus spp.), baldcypress
(Taxodium distichum), tupelo (Nyssa spp.), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus
spp.) [9,13].

No information is available on the specific effects of fire on American
black ducks nor on their behavior following fire. However, specific
information regarding important plant species in American black duck
habitat is available through this database. Refer to species such as
Phragmites, Carex, Scirpus, Eleocharis, and Spartina.

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: swamp

1 Jack pine
5 Balsam fir
12 Black spruce
13 Black spruce - tamarack
16 Aspen
17 Pin cherry
18 Paper birch
24 Hemlock - yellow birch
38 Tamarack
63 Cottonwood
87 Sweet gum - yellow-poplar
88 Willow oak - water oak - diamondleaf oak
89 Live oak
91 Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak
92 Sweetgum - willow oak
93 Sugarberry - American elm - green ash
94 Sycamore - sweetgum - American elm
95 Black willow
96 Overcup oak - water hickory
100 Pondcypress
101 Baldcypress
102 Baldcypress - tupelo
103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
104 Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay
107 White spruce
201 White spruce
202 White spruce - paper birch
203 Balsam poplar
204 Black spruce
251 White spruce - aspen
252 Paper birch
253 Black spruce - white spruce
254 Black spruce - paper birch

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES14 Oak-pine<
FRES15 Oak-hickory
FRES16 Oak-gum-cypress<
FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood
FRES18 Maple-beech-birch
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce
FRES39 Prairie
FRES41 Wet grasslands

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: bog, forest

K073 Northern cordgrass prairie
K078 Southern cordgrass prairie
K090 Live oak - sea oats
K091 Cypress savanna
K093 Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
K094 Conifer bog
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K096 Northeastern spruce - fir forest
K097 Southeastern spruce - fir forest
K098 Northern floodplain forest
K099 Maple - basswood forest
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K101 Elm - ash forest
K103 Mixed mesophytic forest
K106 Northern hardwoods
K107 Northern hardwoods - fir forest
K108 Northern hardwoods - spruce forest
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K113 Southern floodplain forest
K114 Pocosin

The American black duck is being replaced by the mallard as the most
important nesting species along the East Coast of North America [4].
Because they use a variety of habitats, it may be best to determine what
areas are used locally and then protect and enhance those areas [6].
Some techniques for improving and creating brood-rearing habitat include
establishing stands of known foods, flooding wetland areas 2 to 24
inches (5-61 cm) deep, and creating visual isolation between feeding
areas to protect against predators [6]. To create nesting habitat
construct level ditches, pits, small dams for runoff ponds, or blast
potholes. For more detailed information refer to Kirby [6].


REFERENCES :
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AL
AR
CT
DE
FL
GA
IL

IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MD

MA
MI
MN
MS
MO
NH
NJ

NY
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC

TN
TX
UT
VT
VA
WV
WI





NB
NF
NT
NS
ON
PE
PQ
SK

Humans are the most significant predator of the American black duck
[13]. Other predators include cats (Felidae) and dogs (Canidae); skunks
and weasels (Mustelidae); ravens and crows (Corvidae); opossum
(Didelphis virginiana), raccoon (Procyon lotor), snakes, turtles, and
fish [6].

More info for the terms: hardwood, tree

American black ducks prefer coastal brackish marshes and bays with
adjacent agricultural lands [9]. They also inhabit marshy inland lake
shores, sedge (Carex spp.) meadows, bogs, conifer uplands, wet hardwood
forests, and islands in large bodies of water [10,13]. American black
ducks seem to prefer more wooded habitat compared to the mallard [10].
They nest in tree cavities, old bird nests, on muskrat (Ondatra
zibethica) lodges, or on the ground either near water or as far as
one-half mile from the water's edge [10].

The commonly accepted scientific name for the American black duck is
Anas rubripes Brewster [10,14]. There are no recognized subspecies.
The American black duck hybridizes with the mallard (Anas platyrynchos).

More info for the term: formation

Pair formation - mostly paired by autumn but can continue into winter.
Breeding/Nesting - March through June.
Incubation - 23 to 33 days.
Clutch - 7 to 12 eggs; birds may renest if first clutch is destroyed.
Fledge - 8 to 10 weeks.
Maturity - 1 year.
[10,13]

More info for the term: fire regime

Early spring burning of coastal marshes can be used to force nesting
American black ducks out of those areas where nests are likely to be
destroyed by flooding [6].

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".