Mute Swan
The Mute Swan is a species of swan native to much of Eurasia. Despite its Eurasian origin, its closest relatives are the Black Swan of Australia and the Black-necked Swan of south America, not the other Northern Hemisphere swans such as the Bewick’s Swan and Whooper Swan. The name “mute” derives from it being less vocal than other swan species.
The adult Mute Swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange beak bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob at the top of the beak. All Mute Swans are white at maturity although the feathers (particularly on the head and neck) are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water. Young birds (cygnets) are not the bright white colour of mature adults and their bill is dull greyish-black for the first year. The plumage may range from pure white to grey to buff with grey/buff being the most common. Cygnets typically retain their grey/buff feathers until they are at least 1 year old.
On average, the Mute Swan is the second largest waterfowl species after the Trumpeter Swan although the male Mute Swan can easily match or even exceed a male Trumpeter Swan in mass. The adult Mute Swan typically ranges from 55 to 63 inches in length (although it can range in extreme cases from 49 to 67 inches) with a 79 to 94 inches wingspan. Males (cobs) are larger than females (pens) and have a larger knob on their bill. The Mute Swan is one of the heaviest flying birds. In several studies from the UK, males were found to average from about 23.4 to 26.2 pounds, with a weight range of 20 to 32 pounds, while the slightly smaller females were found to average about 18.7 to 21.3 pounds, with a weight range of 17 to 23 pounds.
The Mute Swan is less vocal than the noisy Bewick's Swan and Whooper Swan although it does make a variety of grunting, hoarse whistling and snorting noises, especially in communicating with their cygnets and threatening competitors or intruders trying to enter their territory. The most familiar sound associated with the Mute Swan is the vibrant throbbing of the wings in flight which is unique to the species and this can be heard from a range of up to 1 mile.
The Mute Swan is found naturally mainly in the temperate areas of Europe across west Asia and as far east as Primorsky Krai in the far east of Russia. It is partially migratory throughout the northern latitudes in Europe and Asia as far south as north Africa and the Mediterranean. It is also often kept in captivity outside its natural range as a decoration for parks and ponds and escapes have occurred. The descendants of such birds have become naturalised in east USA and the Great Lakes region across the USA and Canada border.
The Mute Swan population in the UK has increased recently probably due to better protection of this species. Some birds are resident all year whilst others move short distances and form winter flocks. In cold weather, some birds arrive from Europe into east England.
Mute Swans nest on large mounds that they build with waterside vegetation in shallow water on islands in the middle or at the very edge of a lake. It is a monogamous species and often reuses the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Males and females share the care of the nest. The female lays from 4 to 10 eggs and broods for around 36 days. Cygnets are unable to fly before an age of 120 to 150 days and this limits the distribution of the species in the northern edge of its range since the cygnets must learn to fly before the water freezes.
The Mute Swan is usually strongly territorial with just a single pair on smaller lakes although in a few locations where a large area of suitable feeding habitat is found they can be colonial. The largest colonies can hold over 100 pairs such as that at the colony at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset in the UK. Non-mated juveniles up to 3 to 4 years old commonly form larger flocks often at regular traditional sites and these can total several hundred birds.
The Mute Swan can be very aggressive in defence of its nest and it is highly protective of its mate and offspring. Most defensive attacks from a Mute Swan begin with a loud hiss and, if this is not sufficient to drive off the predator, are followed by a physical attack. It attacks by smashing at its enemy with bony spurs in the wings accompanied by biting with its large bill. Smaller waterbirds such as ducks are normally grabbed with the bill and dragged or thrown clear. Large waterfowl, such as the Canada Goose, more likely out of competition than in response to potential predation, may be aggressively driven off. The wings of the Mute Swan are very powerful although not strong enough to break an adult man's leg as has been claimed anecdotally.
The Mute Swan feeds on a wide range of vegetation, both submerged aquatic plants which they reach with their long necks and by grazing on land. The food commonly includes agricultural crop plants such as oilseed rape and wheat and feeding flocks in the winter may cause significant crop damage, often as much through trampling with their large webbed feet as through direct consumption.
Date: 1st January 2022
Location: Gloucester Park, Basildon, Essex
The adult Mute Swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange beak bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob at the top of the beak. All Mute Swans are white at maturity although the feathers (particularly on the head and neck) are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water. Young birds (cygnets) are not the bright white colour of mature adults and their bill is dull greyish-black for the first year. The plumage may range from pure white to grey to buff with grey/buff being the most common. Cygnets typically retain their grey/buff feathers until they are at least 1 year old.
On average, the Mute Swan is the second largest waterfowl species after the Trumpeter Swan although the male Mute Swan can easily match or even exceed a male Trumpeter Swan in mass. The adult Mute Swan typically ranges from 55 to 63 inches in length (although it can range in extreme cases from 49 to 67 inches) with a 79 to 94 inches wingspan. Males (cobs) are larger than females (pens) and have a larger knob on their bill. The Mute Swan is one of the heaviest flying birds. In several studies from the UK, males were found to average from about 23.4 to 26.2 pounds, with a weight range of 20 to 32 pounds, while the slightly smaller females were found to average about 18.7 to 21.3 pounds, with a weight range of 17 to 23 pounds.
The Mute Swan is less vocal than the noisy Bewick's Swan and Whooper Swan although it does make a variety of grunting, hoarse whistling and snorting noises, especially in communicating with their cygnets and threatening competitors or intruders trying to enter their territory. The most familiar sound associated with the Mute Swan is the vibrant throbbing of the wings in flight which is unique to the species and this can be heard from a range of up to 1 mile.
The Mute Swan is found naturally mainly in the temperate areas of Europe across west Asia and as far east as Primorsky Krai in the far east of Russia. It is partially migratory throughout the northern latitudes in Europe and Asia as far south as north Africa and the Mediterranean. It is also often kept in captivity outside its natural range as a decoration for parks and ponds and escapes have occurred. The descendants of such birds have become naturalised in east USA and the Great Lakes region across the USA and Canada border.
The Mute Swan population in the UK has increased recently probably due to better protection of this species. Some birds are resident all year whilst others move short distances and form winter flocks. In cold weather, some birds arrive from Europe into east England.
Mute Swans nest on large mounds that they build with waterside vegetation in shallow water on islands in the middle or at the very edge of a lake. It is a monogamous species and often reuses the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Males and females share the care of the nest. The female lays from 4 to 10 eggs and broods for around 36 days. Cygnets are unable to fly before an age of 120 to 150 days and this limits the distribution of the species in the northern edge of its range since the cygnets must learn to fly before the water freezes.
The Mute Swan is usually strongly territorial with just a single pair on smaller lakes although in a few locations where a large area of suitable feeding habitat is found they can be colonial. The largest colonies can hold over 100 pairs such as that at the colony at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset in the UK. Non-mated juveniles up to 3 to 4 years old commonly form larger flocks often at regular traditional sites and these can total several hundred birds.
The Mute Swan can be very aggressive in defence of its nest and it is highly protective of its mate and offspring. Most defensive attacks from a Mute Swan begin with a loud hiss and, if this is not sufficient to drive off the predator, are followed by a physical attack. It attacks by smashing at its enemy with bony spurs in the wings accompanied by biting with its large bill. Smaller waterbirds such as ducks are normally grabbed with the bill and dragged or thrown clear. Large waterfowl, such as the Canada Goose, more likely out of competition than in response to potential predation, may be aggressively driven off. The wings of the Mute Swan are very powerful although not strong enough to break an adult man's leg as has been claimed anecdotally.
The Mute Swan feeds on a wide range of vegetation, both submerged aquatic plants which they reach with their long necks and by grazing on land. The food commonly includes agricultural crop plants such as oilseed rape and wheat and feeding flocks in the winter may cause significant crop damage, often as much through trampling with their large webbed feet as through direct consumption.
Date: 1st January 2022
Location: Gloucester Park, Basildon, Essex
|
Also in: Mute Swans
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |