Black Swan vs Barrow's Goldeneye
Cygnus atratus compared with Bucephala islandica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Barrow's Goldeneye |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Bucephala islandica |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) | 44.3 cm (17.4 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 838.0 g (29.56 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dives for crustaceans, aquatic insects, and molluscs in mountain lakes and coastal bays. Diet similar … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 6-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Barrow's Goldeneye
Male produces a whistled, nasal kaow-kaow call; female gives a harsh quacking series. The male's wheezy, double call differs from Common Goldeneye; heard on western North American lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Barrow's Goldeneye
Breeds in Iceland, western Canada, and locally the western United States. Winters on coasts and lakes of the Pacific Northwest and eastern Canada.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Barrow's Goldeneye
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Barrow's Goldeneye
Male has iridescent purple-black head with crescent-shaped white facial patch; white body with black scapulars bearing bold white spots. Female grey with brown head, white collar; head rounder than Common …
About These Birds
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.
Barrow's Goldeneye
A medium-sized cavity-nesting duck (~840 g) in family Anatidae, males with purple-glossed heads and a crescent-shaped white face patch. Breeds near mountain lakes in western North America and Iceland; winters on coastal bays. Dives for invertebrates and small fish. Least Concern; dependent on large tree cavities for nesting.