Black Swan vs Australian Shelduck
Cygnus atratus compared with Tadorna tadornoides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Swan | Australian Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus | Tadorna tadornoides |
| 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) | 70.7 cm (27.8 in) |
| Weight | 6200.0 g (218.70 oz) | 1424.5 g (50.25 oz) |
| Diet | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material in spring; forages in shallow ponds; diet … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 5-19 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Australian Shelduck
Inland salt lakes, ephemeral lakes, estuaries, coastal bays, and agricultural dams in southern Australia from Queensland west to Western Australia. Nests in burrows, hollow logs, and tree cavities.
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.
Australian Shelduck
Male gives a whistling 'zzzeet'; female gives a loud, deep cackling 'uk-uk-uk'. Loud, far-carrying calls from Australian wetlands. Considered one of the noisier shelducks.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Australian Shelduck
Breeds across the Palearctic from Iceland and western Europe east to Siberia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
Black Swan
Australian Shelduck
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
Australian Shelduck
Males dark chestnut with black head showing green gloss; white neck collar. White inner wing with iridescent green speculum. Females have white eye-ring and white facial area. Chestnut breast; black …
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.
Australian Shelduck
A large shelduck with a dark bottle-green head, chestnut breast band in females, and dark body with white wing coverts. Common in southern Australia. One of Australia's largest ducks. Gregarious and conspicuous; forms flocks on inland salt lakes and coastal bays.