Black Swan vs Andean Duck
Cygnus atratus compared with Oxyura ferruginea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Andean Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Oxyura ferruginea |
| 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) | 31.4 cm (12.4 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 800.75 g (28.25 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dives for aquatic invertebrates and plant seeds in Andean lakes and marshes. Diet similar to … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 6-10 |
| 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.
Andean Duck
Male gives a rapid, staccato drumming display call; female produces a nasal, quacking rattle. The male's mechanical drumming is similar to Ruddy Duck; echoes across Andean high-altitude lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Andean Duck
Resident in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. Found on high-altitude lakes above 3,000 m.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Andean 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
Andean Duck
Male is dark chestnut-rufous overall with black head, white cheeks tinged grey, and deep blue bill. Female is dark brownish with pale cheeks divided by a dark bar; similar to …
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.
Andean Duck
A stocky stiff-tailed duck (~800 g) of family Anatidae inhabiting high-altitude Andean lakes and wetlands from Colombia to Argentina. Males are rich chestnut with a blue bill during the breeding season. Dives for aquatic plants and invertebrates in cold Andean waters. Least Concern; formerly considered conspecific with Ruddy Duck but now recognized as a distinct species.