Black Swan vs Smew
Cygnus atratus в сравнении с Mergellus albellus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Характеристика | Black Swan | Smew |
|---|---|---|
| Научное название | Cygnus atratus | Mergellus albellus |
| Отряд | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Семейство | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Охранный статус | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Длина | 130,0 cm (51.2 in) | — |
| Размах крыльев | 190,0 cm (74.8 in) | 37,5 cm (14.8 in) |
| Масса | 6200,0 g (218.70 oz) | 658,75 g (23.24 oz) |
| Питание | Aquatic vegetation and algae, supplemented with grain and pasture grasses. Feeds by upending in shallow … | Dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans in freshwater and coastal habitats. Uses serrated … |
| Размер кладки | 4-6 | 5-11 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Black Swan
Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waters across Australia. Also found in ornamental lakes in parks.
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.
Smew
Male gives a soft, crow-like krr note; female produces a grating, rasping call. Both sexes are relatively quiet; the male's harsh, crow-like call is surprisingly low for such a small …
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swan
Australia, primarily in the southeast and southwest. Introduced populations in New Zealand, Japan, and western Europe.
Smew
Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and Siberia. Winters on large lakes and coasts from western Europe east to Japan and China.
Охранный статус
Black Swan
Smew
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
Smew
Male is largely white with black eye patch, black lines on back, and fine black lines on flanks creating a cracked-ice pattern. Female has chestnut-red head, white cheeks, and grey …
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.
Smew
A small merganser (~660 g) in family Anatidae, males predominantly white with fine black markings and a small crest. Breeds in boreal forests of northern Eurasia near rivers and lakes, nesting in tree holes; winters on freshwater and coastal waters in central and western Europe. Feeds on small fish and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.