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Mute Swan

Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

Identify the Mute Swan by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Mute Swan is a very large, white swan native to much of Europe and parts of Asia, with introduced populations in North America and elsewhere. It is recognised by its orange bill with a black knob and its graceful, curved neck. Less vocal than other swans, it is known for the loud throbbing of its wings in flight. Its closest relatives are the Black Swan and the Black-necked Swan.

Did you know?

  • Its throbbing wingbeats can be heard over a kilometre away.
  • When busking, it may even let the wind push it along like a sail.

Voice

Call
Flight call

About the species

Identification

A very large, shining white swan with a reddish-orange bill and a black knob at its base. It often holds its long neck in a curve, unlike Whooper and Tundra Swans, whose necks are usually straight and bills lack a knob. In flight its wings make a loud, throbbing sound. Young birds are greyish brown with a dark bill without a knob.

Family

Anatidae

Size

Very large (swan)

Colours

white, orange, black

About the habitat

Still or slow-flowing waters – lakes, ponds, broad rivers and canals – and sheltered coastal bays, lagoons and archipelagos, as well as park lakes.

Diet

Mainly submerged and emergent aquatic plants, reached with its long neck, as well as grass and spilled grain; occasionally small invertebrates.

Behaviour

Strongly territorial when breeding, hissing, charging and displaying with arched wings (“busking”), although where food is plentiful it may nest in loose colonies. Pairs form long-term bonds and build large mound nests near water; families stay together while the cygnets grow. Non-breeders gather in large flocks. Courtship includes synchronised head and neck movements.

Sources

Photo: Yerpo, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mute swan Vrhnika.jpg

Sound: Sonothèque ADVL, XC705883, CC0 1.0 https://xeno-canto.org/705883

Sound: Alexander Kürthy, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cygnus_olor_-_Mute_Swan_XC307509.mp3

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mute_swan

See also