The largest waterfowl, and among the largest flying birds in their range, with six living species. Northern Hemisphere swans are pure white; southern ones are black or black and white.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Mute swans can be very aggressive defending their nests, hissing and then striking with bony spurs on their wings and biting.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America, Australia
HabitatRivers & lakes, Wetland, Coast
ColoursWhite, Black
SizeLarge
Length1.44–1.58 m (mute swan)
Weight7.6–14.3 kg (mute swan)
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives inpairs
Lives for20–30 years
Can fly
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Europe, Asia and North America, plus the black swan of Australia.
- What it eats
- Almost entirely plants: the roots, tubers, stems and leaves of water plants, with a few small animals.
Did you know
Usually mates for life, and unmarked mute swans in Britain were Crown property.
In Britain, marked mute swans were once registered with the Crown, and any unmarked swan became Crown property.
Often confused with
- Goose
Swans, geese and ducks are one family; swans are the largest waterfowl, and ducks the smallest and shortest-necked.
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