African Black Duck vs Trumpeter Swan
Anas sparsa compared with Cygnus buccinator
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Black Duck | Trumpeter Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas sparsa | Cygnus buccinator |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.5 cm (19.5 in) | 125.1 cm (49.3 in) |
| Weight | 996.8333333333334 g (35.16 oz) | 9975.0 g (351.86 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet heavier in … | Dabbles for seeds, invertebrates, and aquatic plants in shallow water; diet shifts between plant-rich and … |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 | 1-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
African Black Duck
Fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams, mountain gorges, and waterfalls from sea level to 4,000 m across sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia and Kenya south to the Cape. Requires clear turbulent water with boulders.
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
African Black Duck
Produces a harsh, resonant quacking call; alarm is a loud, emphatic quack repeated rapidly. Both sexes call with strong quacking; pairs duet with synchronized calls along African rivers.
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
African Black Duck
Resident across South and Southeast Asia, from India to southern China and the Philippines. Non-migratory in most of its range.
Trumpeter Swan
Breeds in Alaska and northern Canada; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from the southern United States to Mexico.
Conservation Status
African Black Duck
Trumpeter Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
African Black Duck
Dark blackish-brown plumage with bold white spots on back and scapulars. Iridescent blue-green speculum with white borders. Head dark with pale spots. Bill and legs dark gray. Sexes similar. Fast-flowing …
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
African Black Duck
A medium-sized dark brown duck with white spots on the back, a dark bill, and orange legs. Found along fast-flowing rocky rivers and streams in Africa. Territorial and monogamous; pairs defend stretches of river. Related to Pacific Black Duck.
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.