| Mute Swan | |
|---|---|
 a male mute swan. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Genus: | Cygnus |
| Species: | Cygnus olor |
The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is found in many different habitats, including the sea. They are the most common swan in Britain and the Queen legally owns all of them.
Appearance[]
Mute Swans measure about 150 cm in length and up to 240 cm in wingspan. Like all swans, they are large birds with long necks and webbed feet. Adult birds are completely white except for the legs, which are dark grey or black, and the bill, which is orange, and a patch of black, featherless skin around the eyes. Male swans have a black knob just on the top of the base of their bills. Hens have a much smaller knob. Young birds are smaller than adults and have a grey bill and brown feathers which turn paler as they age, becoming completely white at three years of age.
Behavior[]
Pair of Mute Swans (male in the front, female in the back)
Though sociable throughout most of the year, swan pairs are very territorial while breeding and will scare off humans, and anything else that approaches. An aggressive swan will charge its opponent with its neck stretched out and its wings spread and arched on its back, making hissing or rattling noises. Because of their long necks, swans rarely need to dive and will instead dip their heads underneath the water. Due to their weight, Mute Swans need to run on the surface of the water in order to take off. Once in the air, they fly in a V-shape or in a row.
Feeding[]
Mute Swan eating grass.
Swans feed mainly on vegetation. They mostly feed in the water, dipping their heads upending to filter plant material and small invertebrates from the water, but they may also forage on land. In parks they will feed on grain and bread, which is often given to them.
Nesting[]
Family of Mute Swans, with the male carrying a cygnet on his back.
Mute Swans are monogamous and mate for life, although they may find a new partner if the current one dies. A Mute Swan's nest consists of a heap of vegetation, the nests are normally found around a large source of water. The female lays only one clutch per year, usually 5 to 7 light green eggs. The incubation period is about 36 days. The young, known as cygnets, are covered in soft pale grey down and have black bills. They are nidifugous, able to feed on their own almost immediately after hatching, and often seen following the parents or riding on their backs. Young Mute Swans fledge about 20 weeks from hatching. Sexual maturity is reached at three years of life.
Distribution and habitat[]
Native to Eurasia, Mute Swans are most common in the temperate areas of western Europe, including the British Isles, and rarer in Eastern Europe and Asia. They have been introduced into southern Africa, Australasia and North America. Most populations are migratory, whilst some are resident. Mute Swans are found in various kinds of wetland, including lakes, rivers, ponds and marshes.
Gallery[]
