From Opus

Current revision

Photo by Marysan
Lake Murray, San Diego, California, USA

Cygnus olor

[edit] Identification

• L. 127-152 cm (50-60 in)
• W. 208-238 cm (82-94 in)
• Wt. 5500-14300 g (12-31 lbs)

[edit] Adult

Juvenile
Photo by ody
Alblasserdam, Holland

• White plumage
• Bright orange bill with black knob at base
• Male larger, with larger knob

[edit] Juvenile

• Dull, greyish-brown
• Grey bill without knob

[edit] Distribution

A native of northern and central Eurasia. It is a common resident throughout lowland British Isles, north and central France and east to Denmark and Germany. A summer visitor to southern Norway, southern Sweden and extreme south Finland and Poland and the Baltic States. Also breeds around the northern shores of the Black and Caspian Seas and in parts of Turkey.

In the west most are descended from introduced or feral birds and in Britain especially, live in close association with man. Bred ferally in Iceland in the 1960s but extinct since 1977.

Vagrant to Iceland and the Faroes, Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands, Mediterranean islands and the Azores.

Photo by teodor
March 2009

Birds found anywhere else in the world, have been intoduced as an ornamental species in parks and estates. In North America escaped birds have established feral populations in many areas, particularly around the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast. Their aggressive behaviour can threaten native waterfowl species and some states are trying to control this species

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

[edit] Habitat

Breeds in town parks, flooded gravel-pits, reservoirs and natural wetlands, as well as in protected bays with brackish to salty water. Slow-flowing rivers and large, shallow lakes, often in estuaries and on sheltered coasts out of the breeding season.

[edit] Behaviour

It is a very aggressive bird, especially during the breeding season

[edit] Movement

Often swims with it's wings arched and it's neck in an S-curve, giving it a very graceful appearance. The neck is fully outstretched in flight

[edit] Breeding

The Mute Swan mates for life, but if one of the pair should die, the other will remate. The nest is a large mound of vegetation.

[edit] Diet

Includes aquatic plants, by tipping up like a dabbling duck.

[edit] Vocalisation

Generally silent, but does make hissing and grunting noises. In addition, the sound of the wings in flight is characteristic if one is close enough to hear it.

[edit] In Culture

In the UK the Crown owns all unmarked Mute Swans on the River Thames. An annual census (called Swan-upping) is carried out in July, to mark, count and check the health of the population.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. The Royal Windsor Website
3. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
4. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

[edit] External Links