Bird Guide

Mute Swan vs Trumpeter Swan

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

Huge10.7 kgWetland

Adults of this large swan typically range from 140 to 160 cm (55 to 63 in) long, although they can range in extreme cases from 125 to 170 cm (49 to 67 in), with a 200 to 240 cm (79 to 94 in) wingspan. Males are larger than females and have a larger knob on their bill. On average, this is the second largest waterfowl species after the trumpeter swan, although male mute swans can easily match or even exceed a male trumpeter in mass. Among standard measurements of the mute swan, the wing chord measures 53–62.3 cm (20.9–24.5 in), the tarsus is 10–11.8 cm (3.9–4.6 in), and the bill is 6.9–9 cm (2.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Sonothèque ADVL · CC0
Photo: Mykola Borysenko · CC BY 4.0
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Trumpeter Swan

Cygnus buccinator

Huge11.1 kgWetland

The trumpeter swan is the largest extant species of waterfowl, and both the heaviest and longest native bird of North America. Adults usually measure 138–165 cm (4 ft 6 in – 5 ft 5 in) long, though large males can exceed 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) in total length. The weight of adult birds is typically 7–13.6 kg (15–30 lb). Possibly due to seasonal variation based on food access and variability due to age, average weights in males have been reported to range from 10.9 to 12.7 kg (24 to 28 lb) and from 9.4 to 10.3 kg (21 to 23 lb) in females.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Mute Swan and Trumpeter Swan.