The trumpeter swan, however, weighs less than the mute swan, which at 50 pounds (23 kilograms) is the heaviest flying bird. This bird can reach a length of some 6 feet (1.8 meters), with a 10-foot (3-meter) wingspan. The trumpeter swan, named for its far-carrying low-pitched call and for having an all-black bill, is the largest of all waterfowl. cygnus buccinator) and the whistling swan ( C. It’s colouring is mainly black with white dappling over its body and most dis. There are two species of swans native to North America, the trumpeter swan ( C. This hybrid bird (Swoose) of a swan cross goose was truly unique and beautiful. Its bill is orange-red with a black knob on the upper bill, near the eyes. The mute swan is the common swan of Europe. They migrate southward into temperate areas during the winter. Swans mature in the third or fourth year and live perhaps 20 years in the wild and 50 years or more in captivity.įive of the seven or eight species of swans have solid-white feathers and black legs and make their breeding grounds in Arctic regions. Immature birds have mottled gray or brown feathers for two or more years. Though capable of running and swimming a few hours after hatching, they are carefully tended for several months in some species they may ride about on their mother’s back. The young, called cygnets, emerge short-necked and thickly downed. The pen incubates, on average, six pale unmarked eggs on a heap of vegetation while the cob keeps close guard in some species he takes his turn at brooding. Courtship involves mutual bill dipping or head-to-head posturing. Like geese, they typically mate for life. Swans are sociable except in breeding season. olor), the least vocal species, often hisses, makes soft snoring sounds, or grunts sharply. Swans utter a variety of sounds from the windpipe even the mute swan ( C. They feed on aquatic plants by dipping their bills beneath the water. Swans eat seeds, roots, small invertebrates, and fish eggs. Cobs and pens look alike, with heavy bodies and big feet as well as similar coloring. Male swans are called cobs, and females are called pens. ![]() Most swans are classified in the genus Cygnus. Swans belong to the family Anatidae (order Anseriformes), which also includes the ducks and geese. They migrate in diagonal formation or V-formation at great heights, and no other waterfowl moves as fast on the water or in the air. These birds are especially known for having a long neck. Largest of the waterfowl (called wildfowl in Europe), swans are graceful in the air and stately on the water.
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