Black Swan vs Laughing Kookaburra
Cygnus atratus compared with Dacelo novaeguineae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Laughing Kookaburra |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Dacelo novaeguineae |
| Order | Anseriformes | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Alcedinidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) | 43.0 cm (16.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) | 65.0 cm (25.6 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 340.0 g (11.99 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Insects, lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds, and crustaceans. A sit-and-wait predator that swoops from a … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 1-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Laughing Kookaburra
Eucalyptus forests, woodland, and suburban gardens throughout eastern and southwestern Australia.
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.
Laughing Kookaburra
The eponymous call: a loud, rollicking laughter 'koo-koo-koo-ka-ka-ka-ka', rising then falling. Family groups call together creating a cacophony. Iconic sound of the Australian bush.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Laughing Kookaburra
Eastern Australia from Cape York to South Australia and Tasmania. Introduced to southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Laughing Kookaburra
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
Laughing Kookaburra
Brown upperparts with blue patches on the wings and rump. Creamy white head and underparts with a dark eye stripe. Dark brown tail with rufous barring.
Very large, heavy, dark upper mandible and pale lower mandible
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.
Laughing Kookaburra
The laughing kookaburra is the largest kingfisher in the world, famous for its raucous laughing call that has become an iconic sound of the Australian bush. Despite being a kingfisher, it rarely eats fish, preferring terrestrial prey. Family groups perform chorus calls at dawn and dusk to mark their territory.