Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

Glides majestically with your message. Approach with caution. Swans bite.

Population: ~308,000–348,000 mature individuals globally (2021 estimate), and increasing
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, slow-flowing rivers, lagoons, estuaries, and shallow wetlands, with a preference for medium-to-large freshwater bodies; readily adapts to city parks and other urban/suburban water bodies
Fun fact: Despite its name, the Mute Swan is not actually silent — it hisses when threatened and its powerful wingbeats produce a distinctive throbbing sound in flight that can be heard from a considerable distance.
Range: Native to temperate Europe and the Palearctic across to Primorsky Krai/central-eastern Asia, with the far north of Africa as a rare winter visitor; introduced and now naturalized in North America (largest non-native population; Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest), Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa
Diet: Primarily aquatic vegetation reached by submerging its long neck (up to several kg per day), supplemented by grazing on land plants and small amounts of aquatic insects, small fish, and frogs
Size: 1.5 m
Wingspan: 2.2 m
Lifespan: 20 years

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