NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
African Black Duck
Anas sparsa Eyton, 1838
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The African black duck (Anas sparsa) is a species of duck of the genus Anas. It is genetically closest to the mallard group, but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and (as far as they can be discerned) plumage; it is accordingly placed in the subgenus Melananas pending further research.
Wikipedia contributors, African black duck; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:12:38.634511+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Anas sparsa Eyton, 1838
- Name authority
- Eyton, 1838
- Common name
- African Black Duck
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Anas
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderAnseriformes
- familyAnatidae Leach, 1820
- genusAnas Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesAnas sparsa Eyton, 1838
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Anas. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow-billed DuckAnas undulata C. F. Dubois, 1838 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Andaman TealAnas albogularis (Hume, 1873) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Auckland Islands TealAnas aucklandica (G. R. Gray, 1844) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis Linnaeus, 1758 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bernier's TealAnas bernieri (Hartlaub, 1860) | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cape TealAnas capensis J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Green-winged TealAnas carolinensis J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-billed DuckAnas erythrorhyncha J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mottled DuckAnas fulvigula Ridgway, 1874 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-billed PintailAnas georgica J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Grey TealAnas gibberifrons S. Müller, 1842 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Philippine DuckAnas luzonica Fraser, 1839 | AnatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=175113 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:DGPG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.