BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
WATERFOWL
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
WATERFOWL
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds All species in the order are web-footed for efficient swimming and have a large wide bill with a specialized tongue that allows water to be sucked in the front of the bill. An array of plates traps food particles as the water is expelled out the sides of the bill. Not all species feed this way, some graze on plants and some also catch fish.
Anseriformes has 3 familes, but almost all of the species belong to Anatidae.
Family Anatidae: dabbling ducks, teals, diving ducks, sea duck, shelducks, geese.
Family Anatidae: stiff-tailed ducks, swans, whistling ducks,
Family Anhimidae: screamers
Family Anseranatidae: magpie goose
Other species resemble the waterfowl of Anseriformes.
Order Gaviiformes, Family Gaviidae: loons
Order Gruiformes, Family Rallidae: coots, moorhens, crakes, rails
Order Podicipediformes, Family Podicipedidae: grebes
Swans
Anseriformes has 3 familes, but almost all of the species belong to Anatidae.
Family Anatidae: dabbling ducks, teals, diving ducks, sea duck, shelducks, geese.
Family Anatidae: stiff-tailed ducks, swans, whistling ducks,
Family Anhimidae: screamers
Family Anseranatidae: magpie goose
Other species resemble the waterfowl of Anseriformes.
Order Gaviiformes, Family Gaviidae: loons
Order Gruiformes, Family Rallidae: coots, moorhens, crakes, rails
Order Podicipediformes, Family Podicipedidae: grebes
The true swans belong to genus Cygnus. They are the largest waterfowl. Geese are their closest relatives. The sexes are alike in appearance, but the males are larger. Quite unsual for birds, swans have "teeth" - jagged parts of their bill that are used for catching and eating fish. In spite of this they are mainly plant eaters. The Coscoroba Swan is not a true swan.
Genus Coscoroba - 1 species
Swan, Coscoroba Coscoroba coscoroba Found: South America
The Coscoroba Swan is the smallest of swan species. The plumage is white except for black wing tips that are conspicuous in flight. The bird has a red beak, legs and feet. They look somewhat more like geese than swans.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 5) Dick - San Diego Zoo 6) Nick Athanas - Chile
Genus Cygnus
Swan, Black Cygnus atratus Native to Australia. Also found: New Zealand, North America. (introduced), Europe (introduced)
The Black Swan is the only black swan. It has a red bill with a pale tip.
Image by: 1) Oystercatcher 2) Dick - Sylvan
Heights 3) Dick Daniels - Pine Grove Waterfowl Park, Virginia 4) Dick - Flamingo Wildlife Preserve, Nevada 5) Dick - Australia 6) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa 7) Sandy - Sylvan
Heights 8) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes
Swan, Black-necked Cygnus melancoryphus Found: South America
The Black-necked Swan is white with a black neck, head and greyish bill. It has a red knob near the base of the bill and white stripe behind eye. It is relatively silent andis the smallest member of its genus.
Image by: 1, 2) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 5) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights
Swam, Mute Cygnus olor Found: North America (introduced) Europe, Asia, Africa
The name 'mute' derives from the Mute Swan being less vocal than other swan species.This large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange bill bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced black knob atop the bill.
Image by: 1, 3) Dick - Scotland 2) Charlie Westerinen - Germany 6, 7. 8) Dick - New Jersey 9, 10) Dick - the Carolinas 11) Dick - Flamingo Gardens - Flroida 12) Sandy Cole - Birds of Eden, South Africa 13) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes
Swan, Trumpeter Cygnus buccinator Found: North America
The Trumpeter Swan has white plumage and a pure black bill.
Similar to: Whistling Swan. The Whistling swan usually has small yellow lores where the bill meets the eye, the Trumpeter Swan has a pure black bill.
Image by: 1, 2, 6) Dick Daniels - Wyoming 3, 7) Dick - Anchorage Zoo, Alaska 4) Dick - Sylvan Heights
5) Dick - Wyoming 8) Dick - Pine Grove Water Fowl Park, VirginiaSimilar to: Whistling Swan. The Whistling swan usually has small yellow lores where the bill meets the eye, the Trumpeter Swan has a pure black bill.
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1) Juvenile
Swan, Tundra
Tunda Swans are sometimes split into two separate species: Bewick's Swans of Europe, Asia and Whistling Swans of North America. Since their heads coloration is decidedly different, the two species approach is followed here.
Swan, Bewick's Cygnus columbianus bewickii also Cygnus bewickii Found: Europe, Asia
The Bewick's Swan has white plumage and a black bill with yellow at the base. Also considered to be a subspecies of the Tundra Swan.
Similar to: Whooper Swan. The yellow on the bill of the Bewick's Swan's bill stops well before the nostrils. On the Whooper swan it continues past the nostrils.
Image by: 1) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 5) Dick - Sylvan Heights 6) Dick - Pine Grove Waterfowl Park, VirginiaSimilar to: Whooper Swan. The yellow on the bill of the Bewick's Swan's bill stops well before the nostrils. On the Whooper swan it continues past the nostrils.
Swan, Whistling Cygnus columbianus columbianus Found: North America
The Whistling Swan has white plumage; black bill with small yellow lores where the bill meets the eye.
Similar to: Trumpeter Swan. The Whistling swan usually has small yellow lores where the bill meets the eye, the Trumpeter Swan has a pure black bill.
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Pine Grove Waterfowl Park, Virginia 3, 4, 5) Dick - North Carolina
6) Alan D. Wilson - Vancouver Island, British ColumbiaSimilar to: Trumpeter Swan. The Whistling swan usually has small yellow lores where the bill meets the eye, the Trumpeter Swan has a pure black bill.
Swan,_Whooper Cygnus cygnus Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa
The Whooper Swan has white plumage and a black bill with yellow at the base.
Similar to: Bewick's Swan. The yellow on the bill of the Bewick's Swan's bill stops well before the nostrils. On the Whooper swan it continues past the nostrils.
Similar to: Bewick's Swan. The yellow on the bill of the Bewick's Swan's bill stops well before the nostrils. On the Whooper swan it continues past the nostrils.
Image by: 1) Margrit 2, 3) Alan_Shearman 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Jacksonville Zoo in Florida 7) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes
