Lesser Scaup vs Black Swan
Aythya affinis compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Scaup | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya affinis | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | 853.75 g (30.12 oz) | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal habitats; hard-shelled benthic prey dominates diet. | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 6-14 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Lesser Scaup
Breeds on boreal lakes, ponds, and wetlands in Canada and Alaska. Winters on large lakes, reservoirs, coastal bays, and freshwater across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Often in large rafts.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Scaup
Male produces a soft, low purring call; female gives a harsh, nasal scaup sound. Voice nearly identical to Greater Scaup but slightly higher; flocks create a burbling, nasal chatter.
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
Lesser Scaup
Breeds in the forested interior of central Canada; winters on large lakes and rivers of the southeastern United States.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Lesser Scaup
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Scaup
Males have peaked purple-glossed black head; white flanks; black breast and undertail; gray back. Yellow eye. Smaller than Greater Scaup with peaked crown. Females dark brown with white face patch. …
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
Lesser Scaup
A medium-sized diving duck nearly identical to Greater Scaup but with a peaked purple-glossed head, narrower bill nail, and smaller white wing stripe. The most abundant diving duck in North America. Breeds in boreal Canada and Alaska; winters across the southern United States and beyond.
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.