American Black Duck vs Trumpeter Swan
Anas rubripes compared with Cygnus buccinator
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | American Black Duck | Trumpeter Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas rubripes | Cygnus buccinator |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.4 cm (21.0 in) | 125.1 cm (49.3 in) |
| Weight | 1211.25 g (42.73 oz) | 9975.0 g (351.86 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts toward molluscs … | Dabbles for seeds, invertebrates, and aquatic plants in shallow water; diet shifts between plant-rich and … |
| Clutch Size | 1-17 | 1-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
American Black Duck
Freshwater and brackish wetlands in eastern North America from Atlantic Canada south along the coast to Georgia. Breeds in northern bogs and wetlands. Winters on coastal marshes, estuaries, and freshwater lakes.
Trumpeter Swan
Large deep-water lakes, slow rivers, and wetland complexes in western and interior North America from Alaska and Canada south to Oregon. Winters on ice-free rivers and coastal estuaries.
Song & Call Comparison
American Black Duck
Female produces a loud, deep quacking series; male gives a low, raspy grunt. Voice is deeper and huskier than a Mallard; pairs call powerfully across northeastern North American wetlands.
Trumpeter Swan
A deep, resonant, French-horn-like bugling 'oh-OH-oh'. The most musical of North American swans. Pairs sing in duet. Very different from the thin whistle of smaller swans.
Geographic Range & Migration
American Black Duck
Breeds in the steppe zone of Central Asia; winters in South Asia, East Africa, and coastal Southeast Asia.
Trumpeter Swan
Breeds in Alaska and northern Canada; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from the southern United States to Mexico.
Conservation Status
American Black Duck
Trumpeter Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
American Black Duck
Sooty dark brown body; head and neck paler buff with dark streaking. Iridescent purple speculum without white border. Males have yellow-green bill; females olive with orange blotches. Silvery underwings in …
Trumpeter Swan
Entirely snow-white plumage in adults. All-black bill lacking yellow patch. Large size; heaviest North American bird. Neck held straight. Juveniles gray-brown, becoming white by second year. Sexes similar.
About These Birds
American Black Duck
A large dark brown dabbling duck closely resembling a very dark female Mallard, with purple speculum, yellowish-olive bill in males, and orange legs. Common in eastern North America. Hybridizes freely with Mallard; pure populations declining in the interior.
Trumpeter Swan
North America's largest native waterfowl and one of the heaviest flying birds, with all-white plumage, a long neck, and all-black bill. Named for its resonant bugling call. Recovered from near extinction in the 20th century through active conservation. Breeds in northern wetlands.