Black Swan vs Velvet Scoter
Cygnus atratus compared with Melanitta fusca
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Velvet Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Melanitta fusca |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 190.0 cm (74.8 in) | 51.8 cm (20.4 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 1635.1666666666667 g (57.68 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dives for mussels, cockles, and crustaceans in coastal and brackish waters. Freshwater insects taken on … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 7-9 |
| 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.
Velvet Scoter
Male emits a low, melodious whistled note; female produces a guttural, rasping call. The male's soft whistle contrasts with the female's harsh, buzzy alarm call on European coasts.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Velvet Scoter
Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and western Siberia. Winters on coasts of northwestern Europe, the Black Sea, and Caspian Sea.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Velvet Scoter
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
Velvet Scoter
Male is jet black overall with a small white teardrop below eye and white speculum visible in flight; yellow-sided bill with black knob at base. Female is dark brown with …
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.
Velvet Scoter
A large sea duck (~1.6 kg) of the family Anatidae, males black with a white wing patch and yellow-sided bill. Breeds on lakes and rivers of northern Eurasia; winters on coastal waters of Europe. Forages by diving for mollusks and crustaceans. Vulnerable due to significant population declines attributed to hunting pressure and habitat degradation.