Black Swan vs Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus atratus compared with Cygnus buccinator
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Trumpeter Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Cygnus buccinator |
| 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) | 125.1 cm (49.3 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 9975.0 g (351.86 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dabbles for seeds, invertebrates, and aquatic plants in shallow water; diet shifts between plant-rich and … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 1-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Trumpeter Swan
Large deep-water lakes, slow rivers, and wetland complexes in western and interior North America from Alaska and Canada south to Oregon. Winters on ice-free rivers and coastal estuaries.
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.
Trumpeter Swan
A deep, resonant, French-horn-like bugling 'oh-OH-oh'. The most musical of North American swans. Pairs sing in duet. Very different from the thin whistle of smaller swans.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Trumpeter Swan
Breeds in Alaska and northern Canada; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from the southern United States to Mexico.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Trumpeter Swan
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
Trumpeter Swan
Entirely snow-white plumage in adults. All-black bill lacking yellow patch. Large size; heaviest North American bird. Neck held straight. Juveniles gray-brown, becoming white by second year. Sexes similar.
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.
Trumpeter Swan
North America's largest native waterfowl and one of the heaviest flying birds, with all-white plumage, a long neck, and all-black bill. Named for its resonant bugling call. Recovered from near extinction in the 20th century through active conservation. Breeds in northern wetlands.