Swans sticking their feet into the air? (1 Viewer)

C

Claudia

Active member

• Aug 28, 2006

• #1

Hi,
lately we saw several mute swans swimming with one foot suspended in the air as the following picture demonstrates - why would they do that? Does it have sth to do with regulating body heat, I mean are they sticking out one foot into the sun to minimize heat losses in the cold water? We saw a whole swan family doing that, looked really funny...

Greetings!
Claudia
PS: More photos of the swans at this blogg: http://dagensfagel.blogspot.com

 

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Last edited: Aug 28, 2006

Touty

Well-known member

• Aug 28, 2006

• #2

Claudia said:

Hi,
lately we saw several mute swans swimming with one foot suspended in the air as the following picture demonstrates - why would they do that? Does it have sth to do with regulating body heat, I mean are they sticking out one foot into the sun to minimize heat losses in the cold water? We saw a whole swan family doing that, looked really funny...

Greetings!
Claudia

Click to expand...

Gawd knows! Maybe it's one of those things like putting your feet up. Perhaps they are sunning their feet to make vitamin D? Birds expose their oil glands (above the tail) to the sun, making vitamin D as the oils interact with UV light.

 

JRE

Guest

• Aug 28, 2006

• #3

Eh???

 

Catherine3678

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2006

• #4

Just "basking in the sunshine"!

Found a reference to this behaviour with other breeds of swans also ... just resting and basking in the sunshine! Have been known to do that for half an hour at a time!

 

ody

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2006

• #5

It is funny! And that not only in Sweden!
Look at this in Alblasserdam , Holland!
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1283/1976/1600/swan.jpg

 

H

Henry B

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2006

• #6

You put your left foot out, and shake it all about......

 

deborah4

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2006

• #7

Absolutely they enjoy just sunbathing and lazing on the river!

 

Sue Wright

Well-known member

• Aug 30, 2006

• #8

"I intend turning right"

 

JRE

Guest

• Sep 2, 2006

• #9

"Or maybe I'll go left..."