Anna's Hummingbird vs Black Swan
Calypte anna compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Anna's Hummingbird
Chaparral, coastal sage scrub, gardens, parks, and open woodland along the Pacific coast. One of few hummingbirds not fully migratory.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Anna's Hummingbird
Male produces a complex, scratchy song with buzzy 'dzzzzt' notes. Gives a nasal 'chee-chee-chee'. Males sing year-round, even in winter; one of few hummingbirds with true song.
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
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Anna's Hummingbird
Metallic bronze-green upperparts. Males have an iridescent rose-red crown and gorget. Females have green upperparts with grey underparts and a small red gorget patch.
Medium-length, straight, thin black bill
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
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's hummingbird is the most common hummingbird along the Pacific coast and one of only three species resident in the United States year-round. Males perform spectacular dive displays, plummeting from 40 meters and pulling up with a loud chirp produced by tail feathers. Their body temperature can drop to near ambient at night to conserve energy.
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.