White-cheeked Pintail vs Black Swan
Anas bahamensis compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-cheeked Pintail | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas bahamensis | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 41.1 cm (16.2 in) | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | 544.5 g (19.21 oz) | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by hard-shelled … | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 5-12 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
White-cheeked Pintail
Freshwater, brackish, and coastal wetlands across the Caribbean, Galapagos Islands, and South America from Venezuela south to Argentina. Tolerates saline habitats; common in coastal lagoons and estuaries.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
White-cheeked Pintail
Female gives a descending quacking series; male produces a soft, nasal gak note. Both sexes relatively quiet; calls carry across Caribbean mangroves and Bahamian tidal flats.
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
White-cheeked Pintail
Breeds in the subarctic and Arctic Eurasia; winters across temperate lakes and coasts in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
White-cheeked Pintail
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
White-cheeked Pintail
Brown body mottled with dark spots; white cheeks and throat distinctive. Pointed tail. Red base to gray bill. Iridescent green speculum with buff-white front border. Sexes similar but males have …
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
White-cheeked Pintail
A slender duck with white cheeks and throat contrasting with brown body, a red-based grey bill, and distinctive red-sided tail. Found from the Caribbean south through South America. Also known as the Bahama Pintail. Common on Caribbean islands. Three subspecies recognized.
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.