Reunion Shelduck vs Black Swan
Alopochen kervazoi compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Reunion Shelduck | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Alopochen kervazoi | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Extinct | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | — | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Extinct Reunion shelduck; likely fed on grasses, seeds, and aquatic invertebrates near coastal wetlands based … | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Reunion Shelduck
Historically restricted to Réunion Island in the Mascarene archipelago. Now extinct; last evidence from early colonial period. Presumably inhabited freshwater wetland habitats on the island.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Reunion Shelduck
Extinct (EX); no vocalizations recorded. The Reunion Shelduck was exterminated soon after European contact. No contemporary accounts of its call survive in the historical record.
Black Swan
Gives a musical bugling 'boo-boo-boo' in flight and softer honking on water. Less vocal than Mute Swan; produces a baying call when alarmed. Wings whistle softly in flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Reunion Shelduck
Formerly found across the Pacific from Hawaii to New Zealand. Extinct by the 19th century; survived late on uninhabited islands.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Reunion Shelduck
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Reunion Shelduck
Extinct Mascarene species known only from subfossil bones found on Réunion. Plumage unrecorded; presumed similar to Egyptian Goose with brownish-gray tones. Extirpated following European colonization.
Black Swan
Almost entirely black with white flight feathers visible in flight. Red bill with a white band near the tip. Dark red to reddish-brown iris.
Bright red bill with a pale tip and prominent white band
About These Birds
Reunion Shelduck
An extinct shelduck formerly endemic to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Known only from subfossil bones and brief historical records from the 17th century. Went extinct shortly after European colonization. No illustrations or detailed physical description of the living bird is known.
Black Swan
The black swan was once considered impossible by Europeans who believed all swans were white, making it a famous philosophical example of inductive reasoning failure. It is the state emblem of Western Australia. Black swans form lifelong pair bonds and both parents share in incubation and care of cygnets.