Black-necked Swan vs Blue-billed Teal
Cygnus melancoryphus compared with Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-necked Swan | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus melancoryphus | Spatula hottentota |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 82.4 cm (32.4 in) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 5275.0 g (186.07 oz) | 269.2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes aquatic plants and dabbles for invertebrates; diet includes seeds, roots, and aquatic invertebrates in … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Clutch Size | 4-8 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Black-necked Swan
Freshwater lakes, lagoons, rivers, estuaries, and coastal wetlands in southern South America from central Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. Partially migratory; concentrates at coastal estuaries in winter.
Blue-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal rains. Common but easily overlooked among reed beds.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-necked Swan
A musical, whistling 'whoo' or soft 'whooh'. Less loud than Trumpeter or Whooper Swan. Gives hissing at close range. Considered relatively quiet for a large swan.
Blue-billed Teal
Male utters a soft, teal-like peep; female gives a muted quack. Pairs call quietly in dense papyrus; soft contact calls help birds maintain proximity in thick African marsh vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-necked Swan
Breeds across the northern Great Plains and prairie provinces; winters along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Conservation Status
Black-necked Swan
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-necked Swan
White body plumage with entirely black head, neck, and upper foreneck. Red double-lobed knob at bill base. Bill grayish-blue. White stripe behind eye. Pink-red legs. Sexes similar; striking contrast.
Blue-billed Teal
Small; males have pale blue-gray bill contrasting with brown-gray body. Head finely spotted; underparts barred brown and white. Males show powder-blue forewing in flight. Females browner. African marsh species.
About These Birds
Black-necked Swan
A large elegant swan with pure white body plumage and a contrasting jet-black neck and head, a red bill with bright red caruncle, and a white stripe behind the eye. Native to southern South America. Unique coloration makes it unmistakable. Feeds on aquatic vegetation by upending.
Blue-billed Teal
A small dark teal with blue-grey bill and legs, brown-streaked plumage, and fine pale spotting on the flanks. The most widespread teal in sub-Saharan Africa. Found on freshwater lakes and marshes. Highly nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. Swims low in the water like a pochard.