Indian Spot-billed Duck vs Black Swan
Anas poecilorhyncha compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Indian Spot-billed Duck | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas poecilorhyncha | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 54.4 cm (21.4 in) | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | 1220.0 g (43.03 oz) | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for fish and aquatic invertebrates in clear cold streams; serrated bill adapted for catching … | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, rice paddies, and tanks across the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. Common near human habitation. Largely sedentary with some local seasonal movement.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Female gives a loud, emphatic quacking series; male produces a raspy rehb note. Calls are Mallard-like but slightly lower; flocks create a cacophonous quacking chorus on Indian lakes.
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Resident in freshwater lakes and rivers across Southeast Asia, from Myanmar to Indonesia and the Philippines.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Large brownish duck with pale face and distinctive yellow-tipped black bill with red basal spot. Dark cap and eye stripe. Iridescent green speculum with white border. White tertials visible at …
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
Indian Spot-billed Duck
A large brown dabbling duck with distinctive yellow-tipped black bill, red spot at the bill base, white tertials, and blue-green speculum. Common across South and Southeast Asia. Found in a wide range of freshwater habitats. Largely non-migratory.
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.