Black Swan vs Marbled Duck
Cygnus atratus comparé à Marmaronetta angustirostris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Black Swan | Marbled Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Cygnus atratus | Marmaronetta angustirostris |
| Ordre | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Famille | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Longueur | 130,0 cm (51.2 in) | — |
| Envergure | 190,0 cm (74.8 in) | 40,1 cm (15.8 in) |
| Poids | 6200,0 g (218.70 oz) | 422,5 g (14.90 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic invertebrates in coastal … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-6 | 5-20 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
Marbled Duck
Shallow densely vegetated freshwater and brackish marshes, rice paddies, and lagoons in the Mediterranean basin, Middle East, and Central Asia. Winters in Africa and South Asia. Dependent on emergent wetland vegetation.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Marbled Duck
Male gives a low, guttural chuckling; female produces a nasal, rattling quack. Calls are relatively quiet for a duck; the chuckling male call is unusual among Eurasian and North African …
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Marbled Duck
Breeds in the high Arctic; winters on the open Atlantic Ocean and along coastlines from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico.
Statut de conservation
Black Swan
Marbled Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Marbled Duck
Pale sandy-buff plumage with bold white spots throughout; distinctive marbled pattern. Dark eye patch forming mask. Pale face and throat. No iridescent speculum. Gray bill; gray legs. Sexes similar. Mediterranean …
About These Birds
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.
Marbled Duck
A pale sandy-buff duck with distinctive marbled dark and light brown spotting on body and wings, a dark eyepatch, and pale bill. Found in Mediterranean scrub-wetlands and Middle Eastern marshes. Migratory; breeds in southern Europe and central Asia, winters in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.