Höckerschwan vs Common Shelduck
Cygnus olor verglichen mit Tadorna tadorna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Höckerschwan | Common Shelduck |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Cygnus olor | Tadorna tadorna |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | 152,0 cm (59.8 in) | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 235,0 cm (92.5 in) | 62,8 cm (24.7 in) |
| Gewicht | 11000,0 g (388.01 oz) | 1035,5 g (36.53 oz) |
| Ernährung | Submerged aquatic vegetation, algae, and grass. Feeds by upending in shallow water, reaching depths of … | Eats seeds, leaves, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow water; diet broadly omnivorous and varies … |
| Gelegegröße | 5-7 | 3-18 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Höckerschwan
Lakes, slow rivers, estuaries, and coastal lagoons. Often associated with parks and ornamental waters in Europe.
Common Shelduck
Coastal estuaries, mudflats, saltmarshes, sand dunes, and inland saline lakes from northwest Europe east across Eurasia to China. Winters mainly on tidal estuaries and coastal wetlands. Nests in burrows.
Song & Call Comparison
Höckerschwan
Despite its name, not truly mute: gives hissing snorts and low grunting when threatened. Wings produce a loud rhythmic whistling throbbing sound in flight.
Common Shelduck
Male gives a whistled 'wheee'; female gives a cackling series of rapid nasal 'ak-ak-ak' notes. One of the most sexually dimorphic calls of any shelduck species.
Geographic Range & Migration
Höckerschwan
Native to Europe and western Asia. Introduced to North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Common Shelduck
Breeds in Siberian tundra; winters in eastern and southern Africa, and in South and Southeast Asia. Trans-hemispheric migrant.
Erhaltungsstatus
Höckerschwan
Common Shelduck
How to Tell Them Apart
Höckerschwan
All-white plumage in adults. Cygnets are grey-brown, gradually whitening over the first year. Graceful S-curved neck posture is distinctive.
Orange bill with a prominent black knob at the base, larger in males
Common Shelduck
White body with dark green head, broad chestnut breastband, and black scapular stripes. Red bill with basal knob in males. Green speculum and black wingtips. Underparts white with black belly …
About These Birds
Höckerschwan
Der Höckerschwan gehört zu den schwersten flugfähigen Vögeln; Männchen können bis zu 14 kg wiegen. Trotz seines englischen Namens („Mute Swan“, stummer Schwan) ist er keineswegs stumm und gibt zischende, grunzende und schnaubende Laute von sich. Höckerschwäne gehen lebenslange Paarbindungen ein, und ihre aggressive Verteidigung des Brutreviers ist bekannt.
Common Shelduck
A large distinctive shelduck with a white body, dark green head, broad chestnut breast band, and a bright red bill with a knob in males. Common along European and Asian coasts and estuaries. Nests in rabbit burrows or hollow trees. Large moult migrations concentrate in Germany's Wadden Sea.