|
Animalia
|
|
|
Chordata
|
|
|
Aves
|
|
|
Anseriformes
|
|
|
Anatidae
|
|
|
Cygnus
|
|
|
Cygnus
Atratus
|
|
|
Type:
|
Bird
|
|
Diet:
|
Omnivore
|
|
91cm
- 150cm (36in - 60in)
|
|
|
200cm
- 350cm (79in - 138in)
|
|
|
10kg
- 15kg (22lbs - 33lbs)
|
|
|
80km/h
(50mph)
|
|
|
8
- 12 years
|
|
|
Flock
|
|
|
Threatened
|
|
|
Black,
White, Grey, Orange
|
|
|
Feathers
|
|
|
Favourite
Food:
|
Aquatic
Plants
|
|
Large,
shallow wetlands and open water
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
Main
Prey:
|
Aquatic
Plants, Insects, Small Fish
|
|
Human,
Wolf, Raccoon
|
|
|
Large,
powerful wings and webbed feet
|
|
The swan is a large aquatic bird
closely related to geese and ducks. The swan is known for its fierce
temperament and the swans incredibly strong wings which are said to
be able to cause dangerous (sometimes fatal) injuries to any animal
the swan feels threatened by.
The swan is found on both sides of the Equator across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The northern swan is generally white in colour with an orange beak and the southern swan tends to be a mixture of white and black in colour with red, orange or black beaks. The vast majority of swans, however, are found in the northern United States, Canada, and Alaska. They are commonly found on lakes and rivers.
The Australian black swan has been noted to only swim with one leg, the other being tucked above its tail. This helps the swan to change direction more smoothly when the swan is swimming on the surface of the water, should the swan spot food or even an oncoming predator.
Swans are omnivorous birds but have a very vegetarian diet. Swans eat underwater vegetation such as seaweed and aquatic plants when they are on the water and a mixture of plants, seeds and berries when they are on land. Swans also eat insects both water and land-based and the occasional small fish.
Due to their large size, swans have few natural predators in the wild. The swan's main predator is the human who hunts the swan for its meat and its feathers. Other predators of the swan include wolves, raccoons and foxes they prey both on the swan itself but also on its eggs.
Although swans do not mate for life, couples establish strong bonds between one another and can often mate for a few years. Swans build their nests on land out of twigs and leaves, and the female swan lays between 3 and 9 eggs. The baby swans (known as cygnets) hatch out of their eggs after an incubation of just over a month. The cygnets are often on the water with their mother swan within a couple of days and stay close to her for both protection and warmth. The mother swan will guard her baby swans furiously from predators or any animal that she believes is a threat.
Swans have many adaptations in order to successfully survive life on the water such as their streamline body shape, long neck and webbed feet. The wings of the swan are also very strong meaning that the swan is one of the few heavy birds that is able to fly, even if it is only a short distance.
There are around 7 different species of swan found around the world. The size, colour and behaviour a swan individual is largely dependent on its species and the area in which it lives. Swans live up to their reputation of being very beautiful birds. Their elongated, curved necks and white feathers stand out amongst the lakes they reside on. They are very large birds and can weigh up to 30 pounds, measuring anywhere from 56 – 62 inches in length.
Today swans are a threatened species of animal mainly due to hunting and habitat loss. Pollution (mainly water pollution) is also a major reason why swan populations are declining. Humans kept swans for many years for their meat, but today have more respect for the conservation of the swan and keep more sustainable animal food sources.
The swan is found on both sides of the Equator across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The northern swan is generally white in colour with an orange beak and the southern swan tends to be a mixture of white and black in colour with red, orange or black beaks. The vast majority of swans, however, are found in the northern United States, Canada, and Alaska. They are commonly found on lakes and rivers.
The Australian black swan has been noted to only swim with one leg, the other being tucked above its tail. This helps the swan to change direction more smoothly when the swan is swimming on the surface of the water, should the swan spot food or even an oncoming predator.
Swans are omnivorous birds but have a very vegetarian diet. Swans eat underwater vegetation such as seaweed and aquatic plants when they are on the water and a mixture of plants, seeds and berries when they are on land. Swans also eat insects both water and land-based and the occasional small fish.
Due to their large size, swans have few natural predators in the wild. The swan's main predator is the human who hunts the swan for its meat and its feathers. Other predators of the swan include wolves, raccoons and foxes they prey both on the swan itself but also on its eggs.
Although swans do not mate for life, couples establish strong bonds between one another and can often mate for a few years. Swans build their nests on land out of twigs and leaves, and the female swan lays between 3 and 9 eggs. The baby swans (known as cygnets) hatch out of their eggs after an incubation of just over a month. The cygnets are often on the water with their mother swan within a couple of days and stay close to her for both protection and warmth. The mother swan will guard her baby swans furiously from predators or any animal that she believes is a threat.
Swans have many adaptations in order to successfully survive life on the water such as their streamline body shape, long neck and webbed feet. The wings of the swan are also very strong meaning that the swan is one of the few heavy birds that is able to fly, even if it is only a short distance.
There are around 7 different species of swan found around the world. The size, colour and behaviour a swan individual is largely dependent on its species and the area in which it lives. Swans live up to their reputation of being very beautiful birds. Their elongated, curved necks and white feathers stand out amongst the lakes they reside on. They are very large birds and can weigh up to 30 pounds, measuring anywhere from 56 – 62 inches in length.
Today swans are a threatened species of animal mainly due to hunting and habitat loss. Pollution (mainly water pollution) is also a major reason why swan populations are declining. Humans kept swans for many years for their meat, but today have more respect for the conservation of the swan and keep more sustainable animal food sources.
Swans that live on freshwater typically
enjoy pondweed, stonewort, and wigeon grass. They also like eating
insects and tadpoles. Swans that live on salt water also eat insects,
along with sea arrow grass, salt marsh grass, eel grass, club rush,
and green algae.
Many people like to feed swans at the
park. It is recommended to feed them pieces of fresh bread because
mold is quite poisonous to these animals. If you ever decide to feed
a swan, remember to throw their food directly onto the water, and not
on the nearby land. This keeps swans where they belong – in their
safe, natural habitat.
Swans typically know their limits when
it comes to eating and do not overeat.
Fun Facts about Swans
- Swans can sleep on either land or the water. They have the option of sleeping while standing on one leg or while floating in the water.
- After a swan has laid a set of eggs (which can take 2-3 weeks), she can sit on them for 6 weeks or longer until they hatch. Swans will hatch up to 10 eggs at one time. Baby swans are called cygnets and stay with their mother for the first 6 months of life.
- All of the mute swans in England and Wales are owned by the Queen of England.
- Despite popular belief, swans can actually fly. They are among the largest flying birds out there and need about 30 yards to become airborne.
- Believe it or not, there are actually black swans as well as white swans. Black swans are native to Australia and New Zealand. They are not typically found in North America, but due to them being bred and sold for private lakes, it is possible. Black swans have the same diet as white swans and there are no notable differences between the two except their coloring.
- Although it is true that swans are gentle and defensive animals by nature, they have their rare moments of aggression. If any intruder (such as another swan, geese, or even a human) gets too close to their nesting ground or young, they may chase them away. They may also bite – not in the typical sense considering they have no teeth, but they can still pinch the skin which can be irritable.
- Socrates thought swans sang the most beautiful songs right before they died. This is why a last performance is sometimes called a “swan song.”
- Male swans are called cobs; females are known as pens.
- A swan is the emblem of St Hugh of Lincoln.
- swan maiden in Norse and Germanic folk tales, a girl who has the power of transforming herself into a swan by means of a dress of swan's feathers or of a magic ring or chain.
- Swan of Avon a name for Shakespeare, deriving from Ben Jonson's ‘Sweet Swan of Avon!’ in his poem ‘To the Memory of My Beloved, the Author, Mr William Shakespeare’ (1623).
- swan-upping the action or practice of ‘upping’ or taking up swans and marking them with nicks on the beak in token of being owned by the crown or some corporation.
- The names given to babies are signets (cygnets)
No comments:
Post a Comment