In fact the only difference is the color of their bills. Body plumage is dark brown and feathers are thinly edged with beige. The crown is dark and sides of the head and neck are beige or light brown. The top of the wings are dark brown with a dark purple speculum. The under wing is white with grayish colored tips.
Legs are orange-red.
Looks almost identical to the mottled duck frequently found in Louisiana and to a lesser extent in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Diet varies depending on the part of country found. In the eastern united states primarily eats plants by dabbling in bodies of water and grazing on land. Further west this same pattern is observed however, the duck in this region also eats more fish, usually late season shad ,and snails. Fair to excellent depending on area.