Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

The Mute Swan is a large and elegant bird with a long neck! It often glides gracefully on the water and has beautiful white feathers.

Habitat: Lakes and rivers

Appearance

The Mute Swan is a large, elegant bird draped in pure white feathers. It has a striking orange bill adorned with a prominent black knob, especially noticeable on males. Its long neck is gracefully curved into an S-shape, setting it apart visually from other swan species.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusCygnus

Mute Swan

Interesting facts

A group of swans on the water is wonderfully called a "bevy."

An adult swan's huge wingspan can be wider than a car!

Baby Mute Swans, called cygnets, are born grey or brown, not white!

Mute Swans often pair for life, sharing parenting duties for years.

Special abilities

Mute Swans can stretch their long necks to reach aquatic plants up to 90cm deep, helping them find food unavailable to other birds.

Mute Swans can use their strong wings for defense, delivering powerful blows that helps them fiercely protect their nests and cygnets.

Mute Swans can arch their wings and puff out their back feathers, which helps them look much bigger to warn off rivals or threats.

Measurements & details

Length: 125-170 cm
Wingspan: 200-240 cm
Weight: 9-14 kg
Lifespan: 7-20 years
Top Speed: 50 km/h
Clutch Size: 4-10
Incubation: 34-41 days

Diet & Feeding

These graceful birds mostly munch on watery plants, but sometimes nibble small bugs too!

Age differences: Cygnets consume more invertebrates for protein growth; adults primarily eat plant matter.

Primary Foods

Aquatic vegetation
Algae
Grasses
Water snails
Small aquatic insects

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Preys on eggs and cygnets.

eats

Curly Pondweed

Potamogeton crispus

Primary aquatic food source.

eats

Great Pond Snail

Lymnaea stagnalis

Occasionally consumed by cygnets.

eaten by

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

May predate vulnerable cygnets.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Ancient Lineage

This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.

Longevous

This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.