Black ducks are closely related to mallards and are often mistaken for females of that species. The black duck is one of North America's wariest waterfowl, and few surpass it in prestige among hunters throughout the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways. Primarily a species of eastern North America, the black duck is found east of the Great Plains and south of the tundra. Black ducks migrate through the Chesapeake Bay region, as well as overwinter and breed here. They use a variety of habitats and feed on a variety of plants and animals.
Black ducks eat invertebrates and seeds in bottomland hardwoods.
Small islands and isolated marshes that are relatively safe from predators and human disturbance are the last stronghold for black ducks nesting in Chesapeake Bay. Only a few, small, nesting islands remain. Unlike human-tolerant mallards that nest on lawns, docks or even docked boats, black ducks remain a wary bird. The nest is a hollowed-out place on the ground or a stump lined with grass and down. An egg is laid daily until the clutch, which usually consists of about nine buff green eggs, is complete.