Black Swan vs White-faced Whistling-duck
Cygnus atratus comparado com Dendrocygna viduata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Black Swan | White-faced Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Nome científico | Cygnus atratus | Dendrocygna viduata |
| Ordem | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Família | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Estado de conservação | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Comprimento | 130,0 cm (51.2 in) | — |
| Envergadura | 190,0 cm (74.8 in) | 42,9 cm (16.9 in) |
| Peso | 6200,0 g (218.70 oz) | 689,5 g (24.32 oz) |
| Dieta | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Grazes subarctic tundra grasses and sedges; winters on coastal salt marshes eating saltmarsh grasses and … |
| Tamanho da postura | 4-6 | 4-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
White-faced Whistling-duck
Freshwater lakes, marshes, rice paddies, flooded fields, and slow-moving rivers in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America. Tolerates a wide range of modified wetlands. Nomadic, following water availability.
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.
White-faced Whistling-duck
A clear, 3-syllable whistle 'wee-wee-WEE' — the origin of 'whistling-duck'. Given in noisy flocks during flight. Also gives a softer 'de-de-de' contact call on water.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
White-faced Whistling-duck
Found in floodplains and wetlands of the Llanos in Venezuela and eastern Colombia. Sedentary and locally nomadic in wet savannas.
Estado de conservação
Black Swan
White-faced Whistling-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
White-faced Whistling-duck
Distinctive white face and throat contrasting with black hindneck. Breast chestnut; sides and flanks barred black and white. Back brown. Long gray legs. Sexes identical; upright whistling-duck posture.
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.
White-faced Whistling-duck
O parreco-de-cara-branca é um pato assobiadeiro médio-grande amplamente distribuído na África subsariana e América do Sul. Tem uma cara branca proeminente que contrasta com o pescoço e garganta pretos, e flancos barrados de castanho e branco. Frequenta zonas húmidas de água doce, incluindo lagos, pântanos, arrozais e planícies inundadas. É altamente gregário, formando frequentemente bandos grandes. O nome comum refere-se ao assobio agudo e melancólico que emite frequentemente.