Black Swan vs Freckled Duck
Cygnus atratus compared with Stictonetta naevosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Freckled Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Stictonetta naevosa |
| 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) | 46.5 cm (18.3 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 888.25 g (31.33 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Filter-feeds on invertebrates and seeds in shallow water; upends in wetlands; diet shifts toward plant … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 5-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Freckled Duck
Dense inland freshwater swamps, tea-tree bogs, and reedy lakes across southern and inland Australia. Highly nomadic; follows ephemeral inland flooding. Key breeding sites in Murray-Darling Basin swamps.
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.
Freckled Duck
Soft, nasal 'quacking' and grunting sounds. Considered a quieter, more secretive duck than most. Males give a soft wheeze; females give low quacks. Not vocal by duck standards.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Freckled Duck
Breeds in the sub-Arctic and boreal regions of North America; winters inland and coastally across the southern United States.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Freckled 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
Freckled Duck
Dark grayish-brown plumage densely freckled with pale spots and streaks throughout. Head large and rounded with peaked crown. Bill gray-blue with red patch at base in breeding males. Sexes similar.
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.
Freckled Duck
An unusual Australian duck with dark brown plumage densely speckled with small pale spots. Considered a living fossil with no close relatives—placed in its own subfamily. Males have a red base to the bill in breeding season. Found in inland Australia; highly nomadic following rainfall.