From Opus

Photo by Roland RIPOLL

Cygnus atratus

[edit] Identification

110-142cm

• Mainly black plumage
• White flight feathers of the wing edges
• Bright red bill with a pale bar and tip
• Greyish black legs and feet
  

Immatures - greyish-brown with pale-edged feathers.

[edit] Distribution

Southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Has also been introduced to all of New Zealand.

Feral populations can be found world-wide from escaped collections.

Photo by aa2
Western Australia, May 2009

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Any wet area, fresh water and salt water. Swamps and rivers.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Both sexes build the large nest which is a 1meter high mound of reeds, grasses and weeds which may be up to 1.5 metres diameter, in shallow water or on islands. The clutch of 4-8 greenish-white eggs are incubated for about 35-40 days. The young fledge about 6 months later.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• Arthur Grosset's Birds