Greater Scaup vs Black Swan

Aythya marila comparé à Cygnus atratus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Greater Scaup Black Swan
Nom scientifique Aythya marila Cygnus atratus
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur 130,0 cm (51.2 in)
Envergure 42,7 cm (16.8 in) 190,0 cm (74.8 in)
Poids 984,0 g (34.71 oz) 6200,0 g (218.70 oz)
Régime alimentaire Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal and freshwater habitats; diet shifts between invertebrate … Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow …
Taille de la couvée 4-12 4-6
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Greater Scaup
Black Swan 130,0 cm
Envergure
Greater Scaup 42,7 cm
Black Swan 190,0 cm
Poids
Greater Scaup 984,0 g
Black Swan 6200,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Greater Scaup only

Black Swan only

Aucun(e)

Greater Scaup

Breeds on tundra and boreal lakes in the Arctic and subarctic across Eurasia and North America. Winters in large numbers on coastal bays, estuaries, and large lakes in temperate regions.

Black Swan

Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.

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Song & Call Comparison

Greater Scaup

Chant

Male gives a low, purring wheeze; female produces a harsh, rolling quacking sequence. Calls are very similar to Lesser Scaup but slightly lower-pitched; heard on open ocean bays in winter.

Black Swan

Chant

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Greater Scaup

Breeds in the high Arctic of North America; winters offshore on the Atlantic coast from Labrador to South Carolina.

Black Swan

Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Greater Scaup

Least Concern

Black Swan

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How to Tell Them Apart

Greater Scaup

Plumage

Males have glossy green-black rounded head; white flanks and belly; black breast and undertail; gray back. Yellow eye. Bill blue-gray. Females dark brown with white face patch around bill. Longer …

Black Swan

Plumage

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.

Bec

Bright red bill with a pale tip and prominent white band

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About These Birds

Greater Scaup

A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rounded glossy green-tinged head, white flanks, and black breast; females are brown with white around the bill. Similar to Lesser Scaup but told apart by head shape and nail width. Found on large open water bodies.

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.

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Related Comparisons

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