Black Swan vs Green Pygmy-goose
Cygnus atratus compared with Nettapus pulchellus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Green Pygmy-goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Nettapus pulchellus |
| 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) | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 328.75 g (11.60 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in shallow fresh water; diet varies between seasons … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 8-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Green Pygmy-goose
Lily-covered tropical freshwater billabongs, lagoons, and seasonal floodplains in New Guinea and the tropical Top End of the Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia. Highly dependent on aquatic vegetation.
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.
Green Pygmy-goose
Male gives a high-pitched, melodic two-note whistle; female produces a quiet, nasal grunt. Courtship includes rapid chattering exchanges between paired birds on tropical lagoons.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Green Pygmy-goose
Breeds across northern and central Eurasia; winters in tropical Africa and South Asia.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Green Pygmy-goose
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
Green Pygmy-goose
Males have dark green head and neck with white cheek patch; dark back; white underparts; flanks gray-green with fine barring. Females duller with brown cap and white face. White wing …
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.
Green Pygmy-goose
A tiny dark-green duck with pale spotted underparts, a dark cap, and a short stout bill. Endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia. Found on water-lily-covered billabongs and lakes. Feeds by snatching seeds and petals of aquatic plants from the surface.