Black Duck; Dusky Duck (Anas obscura) | Affiliated Manuscripts | Further Data

Occurrence in Amherst & Connecticut Valley, Mass.
C19

Formerly very abundant, but now rare, and will soon be an extinct species around Amherst. It is seen occasionally from the last of March until about the 20th of May, and again in October and November.

C20

Permanent resident, most common as a transient, mid-March to mid-April and early September to December; rather common in summer; local in winter

January - December

C21

Abundant winter and spring migrant and resident; in the fall, few Massachusetts black ducks move south, just shifting to the coast for the winter

January - December

Habitat
marshes, bays, estuaries, ponds, rivers, lakes
Nest Materials
plant matter and down
19th-20th Century Field Notes
Dusky-brown; spot on elbow, purple, bordered with black; iris brown. Length, nearly 2 feet. Feeds on vegetable matter, shells, and insects.

—H.L. Clark, 1887

21st Century Conservation Notes

Least concern*