Greater White-fronted Goose vs Black-necked Swan

Anser albifrons verglichen mit Cygnus melancoryphus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Greater White-fronted Goose Black-necked Swan
Wissenschaftlicher Name Anser albifrons Cygnus melancoryphus
Ordnung Anseriformes Anseriformes
Familie Anatidae Anatidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 81,6 cm (32.1 in) 82,4 cm (32.4 in)
Gewicht 2471,0 g (87.16 oz) 5275,0 g (186.07 oz)
Ernährung Dabbles for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant material; diet shifts heavily toward invertebrates in breeding … --
Gelegegröße 3-9 4-8
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Greater White-fronted Goose only

Black-necked Swan only

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Greater White-fronted Goose

Breeds on Arctic and subarctic tundra and peatlands. Winters on estuaries, agricultural fields, freshwater marshes, and flooded meadows across Europe, Asia, and North America. One of the most widespread geese.

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.

Song & Call Comparison

Greater White-fronted Goose

Gesang

A loud, laughing 'kow-lyuk' or musical 'wah-wah'. Gives a distinctive high-pitched yodeling quality lacking in Greylag. Highly vocal in large winter flocks.

Black-necked Swan

Gesang

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.

Geographic Range & Migration

Greater White-fronted Goose

Breeds in the potholes region of the northern Great Plains; winters in the southern United States and along the Gulf Coast.

Black-necked Swan

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Greater White-fronted Goose

Least Concern

Black-necked Swan

How to Tell Them Apart

Greater White-fronted Goose

Gefieder

Brown-gray body with white forehead patch bordered by white band at bill base. Underparts with bold irregular black bars on belly. Orange bill; orange-yellow legs. Juveniles lack white front and …

Black-necked Swan

Gefieder

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.

About These Birds

Greater White-fronted Goose

A medium-large goose with a white forehead patch, orange bill, grey-brown plumage, and variable black barring on the belly. Widespread and numerous; one of the most abundant geese in the world. Breeds across the high Arctic; winters in a wide range of temperate wetland and agricultural habitats.

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.

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