Black-winged Starling vs Mute Swan

Acridotheres melanopterus compared with Cygnus olor

Key Differences

• Black-winged Starling is Endangered while Mute Swan is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-winged Starling	Mute Swan
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Sturnidae	Anatidae
Genus	Acridotheres	Cygnus
Species	Acridotheres melanopterus	Cygnus olor

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-winged Starling and Mute Swan share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Black-winged Starling

EN — Endangered

Mute Swan

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~600.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-winged Starling	Mute Swan
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	12.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-winged Starling

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Mute Swan

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (4 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Dominican Republic, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Colombia, Peru). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Black-winged Starling

The Black-winged Starling (Acridotheres melanopterus) is a species in the genus Acridotheres. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found in Norway. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Mute Swan

The most commonly encountered swan globally and one of the largest flying birds, mute swans weigh up to 15 kg and inhabit lakes, rivers, and coastal bays across Europe and Asia, with widespread introduced populations in North America and Australia. Despite their name, mute swans produce a range of hissing, grunting, and wing-whistling sounds. Males aggressively defend territories and are capable of injuring humans and drowning dogs with powerful wing strikes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway