Ring-necked Duck vs Black Swan
Aythya collaris compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ring-necked Duck | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya collaris | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 39.0 cm (15.4 in) | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | 825.5 g (29.12 oz) | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by benthic … | 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
Ring-necked Duck
Breeds on boreal lakes and bogs in North America from Alaska and Canada south to the northern United States. Winters on freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and marshes across the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Ring-necked Duck
Male produces a low, purring wheeze; female gives a harsh, rolling quack. The purring male call is understated; found on North American freshwater lakes; female calls are emphatic and nasal.
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
Ring-necked Duck
Breeds in western Arctic Canada and Alaska; winters along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Ring-necked Duck
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Ring-necked Duck
Males black back and breast; gray flanks with white vertical mark near breast. Iridescent dark purple head with subtle chestnut neck ring. Bill blue-gray with white ring near tip. Females …
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
Ring-necked Duck
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a glossy black head and breast, white flank stripe, and a grey bill with a white ring near the tip; females are brown. Named for an inconspicuous brown neck ring. Common in North America. Dives for aquatic plants and invertebrates.
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.