The mute swan is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and a rare winter visitor to the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and southern Africa.
The name ‘mute' derives from it being less vocal than other swan species.
facts
Mute Swans belong to the family called Anatidae.
It is an introduced species in North America.
Mute swans measure 125 to 170 cm in length.
Mute swans lay from 4 to 10 eggs.
Males are larger than females and have a larger knob on their bills.
They also sport a pronounced knob on the top of their beaks.
The adult swan is white with an orange bill bordered with black.
The mute swan is the national bird of Denmark.
Males are known as cobs.
Females are known as pens.
Young birds are called cygnets.
Cygnets usually boast a dull greyish-black bill and they have grey plumage.
Once the cygnets reach the age of 1 year, their feathers will turn white.
The cygnets reach adult size by the time they are 3 months old.
The total native population of mute swans is about 500,000 birds.
mute swans are strongly territorial.
“The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen tells the story of a cygnet.
The British Monarchy retains the right to own all unmarked mute swans in open water.
The mute swan is less vocal than the whooper and Bewick's swans.
That's where it got its name.
They make a variety of grunting, whistling, and snorting noises.
The cygnets cannot fly until they reach 120 to 150 days.
Mute Swans are the second largest waterfowl species in the world.
Sometimes male Mute Swans can be bigger than Whooper Swans.
Mute Swans build their nests on large mounds.
Mute Swans are known to mourn the death of their mating partner or cygnets.
The pose the Mute Swans take for the threat display is known as busking.
The cob is usually the one that defends its territory.
Mute Swans are monogamous and pair mates for life.
Mute Swans are aggressive when it comes to defending their offspring.