Greater Scaup vs Black Swan
Aythya marila compared with Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Greater Scaup | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya marila | Cygnus atratus |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Weight | 984.0 g (34.71 oz) | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts between invertebrate … | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Clutch Size | 4-12 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Greater Scaup
Breeds on tundra and boreal lakes in the Arctic and subarctic across Eurasia and North America. Winters in large numbers on coastal bays, estuaries, and large lakes in temperate regions.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Greater Scaup
Male gives a low, purring wheeze; female produces a harsh, rolling quacking sequence. Calls are very similar to Lesser Scaup but slightly lower-pitched; heard on open ocean bays in winter.
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
Greater Scaup
Breeds in the high Arctic of North America; winters offshore on the Atlantic coast from Labrador to South Carolina.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Conservation Status
Greater Scaup
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Greater Scaup
Males have glossy green-black rounded head; white flanks and belly; black breast and undertail; gray back. Yellow eye. Bill blue-gray. Females dark brown with white face patch around bill. Longer …
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
Greater Scaup
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rounded glossy green-tinged head, white flanks, and black breast; females are brown with white around the bill. Similar to Lesser Scaup but told apart by head shape and nail width. Found on large open water bodies.
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.