# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 129 - **Habitat:** Lakes and rivers - **Also known as:** Common Swan, Swan, White Swan ![Mute Swan](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425734/objects/4615.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Cygnus ## 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 - **Deep-Diving Grazer:** Mute Swans can stretch their long necks to reach aquatic plants up to 90cm deep, helping them find food unavailable to other birds. - **Wing-Powered Protector:** Mute Swans can use their strong wings for defense, delivering powerful blows that helps them fiercely protect their nests and cygnets. - **Feather Fluff Signal:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — May predate vulnerable cygnets. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Mute Swan? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Mute Swan? 125-170 cm ### What is Mute Swan's wingspan? 200-240 cm ### How much does Mute Swan weigh? 9-14 kg ### How long does Mute Swan live? 7-20 years ### How fast can Mute Swan move? 50 km/h ### What does Mute Swan eat? These graceful birds mostly munch on watery plants, but sometimes nibble small bugs too! ### Where is Mute Swan usually found? Lakes and rivers ## Where to spot - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Ashley River Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashley-river-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Barrington Civic Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrington-civic-center-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Broadway Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-avenue-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Broadway-Armory Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-armory-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District [View all places to see Mute Swan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mute-swan) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Mute Swan: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mute-swan)