# Whooper Swan (*Cygnus cygnus*) The Whooper Swan is a beautiful bird with a long neck and white feathers. They are known for their loud, trumpeting calls and can often be seen swimming gracefully on lakes and rivers. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Whooper ![Whooper Swan](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cygnus_cygnus_070416_IOL.jpg&width=800) Photo: Pascal Aleixandre, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cygnus_cygnus_070416_IOL.jpg) ## Appearance The Whooper Swan has striking black and bright yellow markings on its bill and a distinctly straight neck. Its large body is covered in pure white feathers, making it highly visible on water. Young swans, called cygnets, are grey-brown and gradually turn white. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Cygnus ## Interesting facts - A group of flying swans is called a "wedge." - Swans can drink saltwater, thanks to special glands! - Their unique call gives them their "whooper" name! - They often fly in a V-shape, saving energy for the flock. ## Special abilities - **Trumpet Caller:** Whooper Swans can make loud, trumpet-like calls that help them communicate across long distances, especially during migration. - **Deep Diver:** Whooper Swans have a long, flexible neck that allows them to reach aquatic plants deep underwater for food. - **Endurance Flyer:** Whooper Swans have powerful wings and strong bodies to fly thousands of kilometers, enduring harsh weather on their migrations. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 140-165 cm - **Wingspan:** 205-275 cm - **Weight:** 7.4-14 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-7 - **Incubation:** 31-42 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding Whooper Swans are plant-eaters, feasting on tasty aquatic plants, roots, and sometimes grain. - **Age differences:** Young cygnets may eat some aquatic invertebrates for protein before switching fully to plants. - **Primary Foods:** Aquatic plants, Roots, Stems, Seeds, Grasses, Grains - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Broad-leaved Pondweed (*Potamogeton natans*) — A favorite aquatic plant for swans to feed on. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — May try to prey on eggs or young cygnets in some areas. - **Shelter:** [Common Reed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-reed) (*Phragmites australis*) — Often used by swans to build large, protective nests near water. ## 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. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [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. - [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 Always watch swans from a distance, as they can be protective of their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Whooper 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 Whooper Swan? 140-165 cm ### What is Whooper Swan's wingspan? 205-275 cm ### How much does Whooper Swan weigh? 7.4-14 kg ### How long does Whooper Swan live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Whooper Swan move? 70 km/h ### What does Whooper Swan eat? Whooper Swans are plant-eaters, feasting on tasty aquatic plants, roots, and sometimes grain. ### Where is Whooper Swan usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Naturpark Hümmling](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hummling-nature-park) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Lower Oder Valley National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-oder-valley-national-park) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Natur- und Sternenpark Westhavelland](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/westhavelland-nature-and-dark-sky-park) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Naturpark Niederlausitzer Landrücken](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/niederlausitzer-landruecken-nature-park) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Naturpark Schlei](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-schlei) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park - [UNESCO-Biosphärenreservat Flusslandschaft Elbe](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/unesco-biosphere-reserve-flusslandschaft-elbe) — Brandenburg; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; Niedersachsen; Sachsen-Anhalt; Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park [View all places to see Whooper Swan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/whooper-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: [Whooper Swan: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/whooper-swan)