Black Swan vs Australasian Shoveler
Cygnus atratus compared with Spatula rhynchotis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Australasian Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Spatula rhynchotis |
| 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) | 44.8 cm (17.6 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 678.0 g (23.92 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Feeds on aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; dabbles in shallow freshwater; diet seasonally variable. |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 5-13 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Australasian Shoveler
Freshwater and brackish wetlands, lakes, and marshes across southern and eastern Australia and New Zealand. Nomadic in Australia; follows seasonal flooding. Often on permanent lakes and coastal lagoons.
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.
Australasian Shoveler
Male emits a soft, muffled tok; female gives a series of rapid, descending quacks. The female's characteristic quacking laugh is similar to the Northern Shoveler but slightly lower pitched.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Australasian Shoveler
Breeds in central Asia; winters mainly in South and Southeast Asia, with some birds reaching eastern Africa.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Australasian Shoveler
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
Australasian Shoveler
Males have slate-blue head with white crescent before eye; rich rufous-brown below with white breast spot. Blue forewing and green speculum. Females mottled brown. Long spatulate bill bluish-gray. Dimorphic.
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.
Australasian Shoveler
A medium-sized shoveler with the distinctive large bill. Males are brownish with blue-grey wing patches and white facial crescent; females are mottled brown. Found in Australia and New Zealand. Nomadic within Australia; follows seasonal inland flooding.