Commonly
Known Swan Species
Swans are the larges and generally
considered the most
beautiful of the waterfowl. A male is known as a cob, a female is a
pen, and
the young are called cygnets. Swans are large water birds of the family Anatidae, which
also includes geese and ducks. Swans are creatures of habit, often
mating for
life and breeding in the same place year after year. The swans species
are
known to divide into the northern hemisphere swans which are Mute swan,
Trumpeter swan, Whooper swan, Whistling or Tundra swan, Bewick swan
while the
southern hemisphere which are Black swan, Black-necked swan and
Coscoroba swan.
The Mute
Swan is common swan of parks and estates. It is native
across Europe
and Asia and has been introduced in
many other areas,
including parts of North America. In England,
all Mute Swans were considered the property of the Crown until the 18th
century. Mute swans, with their dazzling white plumage, orange bills
and
gracefully curved necks are among the most beautiful and instantly
recognizable
of all the wild birds.
On the
other hand, the Trumpeter
Swan is North America’s
largest
waterfowl and one of its rarest native birds. In many areas these swans
face
new problems such as lead poisoning, habitat loss, and the loss of
their
traditional migration patterns to southern wintering areas. Restoration
efforts
during the past fifty years have met with both successes and failures.
Today,
in a new century and with a new restoration technique, transportation
of birds
to other areas has resulted in a spectacular comeback.
The Whooper
Swan is the Old World
cousin of the Trumpeter Swan,
breeding across the entire northern Palerctic. It is distinguished from
Bewick’s Swan by its larger size and the yellow bill with a
black tip. It is
the noisiest of all the swans, constantly calling “hoo, hoo,
hoo” while in
flight. Unlike the Mute Swan, it tends to carry its neck stiffly erect.
The Tundra
Swan consists of two distinct subspecies, namely, the Whistling Swan of
North
America and the Bewick
Swan of Eurasia. The
Whistling
Swan differs in appearance from the Bewick Swan in the amount of yellow
it has
on its bill. The Whistling Swan has a yellow teardrop in front of its
eye
whereas the Bewick Swan has almost half of its bill covered on yellow.
Another
type is the Black Swan
which is native to most of Australia,
including Tasmania.
The
populations are thriving in New
Zealand
and there are some free-living birds in Sweden.
The Black Swan is the most social of the swans and during the breeding
season
will often nest in loose colonies. Most other swans will not tolerate
other
pairs anywhere near their nests.
As
for Black-necked Swan,
these beautiful birds are native to southern South
America. The sexes are similar in plumage. They flock
most of the
year but are quite territorial when breeding. The males will chase
other
waterfowl, and almost anything else, from the vicinity to the nest.
Incubation
will last 36 days until the clutch of 4-5 hatches. The cygnets spend
much of
their time on the parents’ back when not feeding.
The Coscoroba Swan was
given its name because of the call that it makes, and on a
warm summer night here in the Northeast part of the US
captive-bred Coscoroba
Swans will seemingly spend the entire night calling. One
bird will start a procession and the others will follow. The cob makes
a
high-pitched "coscoroba" call whereas the pens are much deeper in
tone.
Swans are devoted parents, keeping a
watchful eye on their brood, allowing them to ‘hitch a
lift’ on their backs and
diligently teaching them how to feed on the underwater plants which
will form
the main part of their diet. The family group remains together until
the winter
or following spring when the juveniles are evicted from the breeding
territory.
Young birds may then join flocks of non-breeding swans, and often
remain in
these colonies for two or three years until they are old enough to
breed. They
will eventually form a pair bond and begin the search for a vacant
nesting
territory.
Other Articles:
Commonly Known Swan Species
What You Need To Know About Mute Swans
Amazing Characteristics of Black Swans
Swans For Sale - What You Need To Know Before Looking For
Swans
Feeding Swans
Swan Facts
Swan For Sale
Swan Health
Swans Mating
What Do
Swans Eat
What To
Feed Swans
