Black Swan vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Cygnus atratus compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| 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) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Tropical freshwater marshes, flooded grasslands, swamps, and lake margins from the Philippines and Indonesia through Papua New Guinea to northern and eastern Australia. Nomadic following wet season flooding.
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.
Wandering Whistling-duck
A soft whistle 'whi-whi-whi' in flight. Less vocal than other whistling-ducks; flocks tend to be quieter. Given at dawn and dusk during flight to roosting or feeding areas.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Wandering Whistling-duck
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
Wandering Whistling-duck
Rich chestnut-brown head and neck; dark brown back. Flanks rufous with pale buff streaks and dark spots. Belly blackish. Long, dark pinkish legs. Upright posture typical of whistling-ducks. 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.
Wandering Whistling-duck
A medium-sized whistling-duck with rufous-brown body, dark brown back, pale buff underparts, and a chestnut collar. Found in tropical wetlands from Indonesia to Australia and Pacific islands. Highly social and nomadic. Forages by dabbling and diving in shallow freshwater.