AFRICAN BLACK DUCK 
ANAS SPARSA Eyton 
(Plate 25) 
Synonymy 
Anas sparsa Eyton, Monograph Anatidae, p. 142, 1838. 
Anas flavirostris G. R. Gray {nec Smith), List Birds British Mus., vol. 3, p. 137, 1844. 
Anas leucostigma Riippell, Systematische Uebersicht d. Vogel Nord-Ost-Afrikas, 
pp. 130, 138, pi. 48, 1845. 
Anas guttata Lichtenstein, Nomenclator Avium Mus. Berolini, p. 101, 1854. 
Vernacular Names 
English: African Black Duck, Black River Duck, Speckled Duck, White-spotted 
Duck, White-barred Black Duck. 
German: Smith’s Ente. Dutch: Stippeleende. 
Zulu: Edada. Zambesi: Tunta. 
DESCRIPTION 
Adult Male: General color very dark brown to black both above and below, except the sides of the 
head and neck which are lighter and streaked with black. Scapulars and tertials have several irregu- 
lar rows of white spots, which also appear as four irregular buff or white bands on the tail. Occa- 
sionally the mantle has one or two white spots, and whitish bands may appear on the breast and 
abdomen. Wing with a blunt carpal spur. A metallic speculum bordered in front by a broad black 
band and a prominent white band, posteriorly by a wide black, and a narrow white band. Under 
wing-coverts white and black; axillars white. 
Iris dark chestnut. Bill black in South African specimens, or probably dark lead-blue in life 
(Blaauw, 1917). In East African specimens it is orange with a black saddle-mark on the culmen 
below nostrils, and with a black nail. Sometimes only the tip and base of culmen are orange. Feet 
orange with webs black. 
Wing 239-256 mm.; bill 43-47; tarsus 41-47. 
Adult Female: Similar to the male but somewhat smaller (Salvador!, 1895). 
Immature Plumages: Mr. Blaauw (1917) who bred this species from South African examples de- 
scribes the developing young as follows: At ten days old the bills of the chicks had become bluish 
lead-color and the birds had grown very rapidly. At the age of twenty-four days the first feathers 
appeared, tail-feathers first, and then the shoulder (scapular) feathers. When fully feathered they 
were very similar to adults, but more brownish, and the whole under side silvery white. Upper side, 
head and neck excepted, but including tail-coverts, with a number of buff spots on edges to the 
feathers. No white spots. Blue wing-bar with its white and black edgings present, but duller in 
color. Upper mandible blue; nail black. Under side of under mandible flesh-color. At about seven 
weeks the black saddle-mark on the bill apjjears, but is not prominent until later. Toward the end of 
