Black Swan vs Pink-eared Duck
Cygnus atratus compared with Malacorhynchus membranaceus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Pink-eared Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Malacorhynchus membranaceus |
| 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) | 36.7 cm (14.4 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 366.25 g (12.92 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Highly specialized filter-feeder; spatulate bill strains algae and zooplankton from turbid Australian floodwaters; tracks inland … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 6-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Pink-eared Duck
Ephemeral and permanent inland wetlands, flooded grasslands, and claypans across Australia. Highly nomadic, following unpredictable inland flooding. Most common in the Murray-Darling Basin in flood years.
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.
Pink-eared Duck
A soft, high-pitched rattling 'zarr-zarr' or reedy whistle. Considered a quiet duck. Calls while feeding in shallow Australian wetlands and flooded grasslands.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Pink-eared Duck
Breeds across Eurasia; winters across sub-Saharan Africa. One of the most widespread Palearctic–African long-distance migrants.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Pink-eared 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
Pink-eared Duck
Pale gray-brown body with bold dark brown barring on flanks. Brown-streaked crown; white face with brown eye-patch. Tiny pink ear-spot behind eye. Wide gray spatulate bill. Striped flanks diagnostic. Sexes …
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.
Pink-eared Duck
A small highly specialized duck with a large spatula-shaped bill for filter-feeding, grey-brown plumage with bold facial stripe, and a tiny pink patch behind the eye. Endemic to Australia. Highly nomadic; follows inland flooding. Expert filter-feeder on microscopic algae and invertebrates.