Wood Duck vs Black Swan
Aix sponsa comparé à Cygnus atratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Wood Duck | Black Swan |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Aix sponsa | Cygnus atratus |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | 130,0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Envergure | 44,1 cm (17.4 in) | 190,0 cm (74.8 in) |
| Poids | 691,75 g (24.40 oz) | 6200,0 g (218.70 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Dabbles for seeds and aquatic invertebrates; diet shifts between plant matter and invertebrates seasonally in … | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … |
| Taille de la couvée | 9-15 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Wood Duck
Wooded swamps, beaver ponds, forested river margins, and tree-lined lakes in eastern and western North America. Nests in tree cavities up to 15m high. Readily uses nest boxes. Winters on wooded freshwater wetlands.
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Song & Call Comparison
Wood Duck
Male gives a loud, rising 'jeeee' whistle; female gives a soft, nasal 'oo-eek'. One of North America's most beautiful ducks; its call matches its spectacular appearance.
Black Swan
Gives a musical bugling 'boo-boo-boo' in flight and softer honking on water. Less vocal than Mute Swan; produces a baying call when alarmed. Wings whistle softly in flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Wood Duck
Breeds in Eurasia; winters across tropical and southern Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia.
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Statut de conservation
Wood Duck
Black Swan
How to Tell Them Apart
Wood Duck
Males iridescent green and purple-crested head with white throat patches and facial stripes. Chestnut breast, buffy flanks, dark back. Red eye and bill. Females gray-brown with white eye-ring teardrop. Spectacular …
Black Swan
Almost entirely black with white flight feathers visible in flight. Red bill with a white band near the tip. Dark red to reddish-brown iris.
Bright red bill with a pale tip and prominent white band
About These Birds
Wood Duck
One of North America's most ornate ducks; males have an iridescent green-and-purple crested head, complex face patterning, chestnut breast, and colorful bill. Females are elegantly marked in brown and grey. Nests in tree cavities along forested waterways. Recovered strongly from near-extinction after 1918 legal protection.
Black Swan
The black swan was once considered impossible by Europeans who believed all swans were white, making it a famous philosophical example of inductive reasoning failure. It is the state emblem of Western Australia. Black swans form lifelong pair bonds and both parents share in incubation and care of cygnets.