Black Swan vs Common Scoter
Cygnus atratus compared with Melanitta nigra
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Common Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Melanitta nigra |
| 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) | 44.2 cm (17.4 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 1127.25 g (39.76 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dives for bivalves, especially cockles, mussels, and clams, in shallow coastal seas. Also eats crustaceans … |
| 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.
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.
Common Scoter
Male gives a soft, piping whistle; female produces a harsh, rasping call. The male's piping whistle is subtle; female's harsh calls dominate on European winter coasts and estuaries.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Common Scoter
Breeds on moorland and boreal tundra from Iceland and Britain east to western Siberia. Winters on northwestern European coasts and the Baltic Sea.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Common 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
Common Scoter
Male is entirely sooty black without white markings; orange-yellow patch on upper bill with small black knob. Female brownish-black above with contrasting pale cream cheeks and throat.
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.
Common Scoter
A medium-sized sea duck (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, males entirely black with a knobbed yellow bill. Breeds on moorland lakes in northern Europe and western Siberia; winters in large flocks on shallow coastal seas. Dives for bivalves and crustaceans. Least Concern; monitored due to sensitivity to offshore energy development and oil spills.