A short message about swans. Swan. Description of the species and interesting facts

Swans (lat. Cygnus) are a genus of birds of the order Anseriformes, the family Anatidae.

The modern name of the bird is completely consonant with the Old Slavic word for “swan”. The root leb is related to the Latin alb, meaning "white", so the bird gets its name from its white plumage.

Appearance

The swan is the largest waterfowl. Adults have a body length of 1.2 to 1.8 m, with a weight of 6 to 12 kg. The span of strong and wide wings can reach 2-2.5 m.

The long, graceful neck in some species is held vertically, in others it is curved in the shape of an S. The head is small, ending in a strong beak, red, black or yellow. Some species are endowed with a knobby growth at the base of the beak.

The dense, elongated body ends in a short tail, above which there is a special gland that secretes fat to lubricate the plumage. Short, black, webbed feet are located closer to the tail, which allows the swan to easily maneuver in the water.

Thanks to the thick downy layer, the plumage is lush and soft. With the exception of the black and black-necked swan, the color of the birds is uniform, white.

Swans are endowed with powerful flight muscles, which allow them to cover enormous distances when flying south. Birds are considered record holders for flight altitude: according to pilots, a whooper swan was spotted at an altitude of over 8 km.

Habitat and habitat features

Swans are widespread in Eurasia, both American continents, and also in Australia. The southern species lead a sedentary lifestyle, while the northern ones winter in Asia and the Mediterranean countries.

Depending on their habitat, swans inhabit the shores of a variety of water bodies: rivers, lakes, ponds, tropical swamps, and also live in sea lagoons and estuaries.

Nutrition and reproduction

The birds obtain their main food by lowering their necks deep into the water, but often graze on the shore. The plant diet consists of grasses, seeds, roots of aquatic plants, leaves of trees growing near water.

From animal food, they eat everything that can be found in shallow water: small fish, worms, insects and their larvae, shells, mollusks and frogs.

The mating season in northern species occurs at the beginning of spring and begins a week after migration. Southern species breed during the rainy season.

Swans form a couple and remain faithful to their partner all their lives. Nests, up to 3 m in diameter, are made of grass and reeds. The clutch contains 3-8 eggs, incubation lasts about 40 days. All this time, the male guards the nest and his territory.

Swan chicks dry themselves using their mother's back.

In all types of swans, chicks are born covered with gray down and from the first days of life they are able to independently obtain food under the supervision of their parents. After the first molt, feathers appear and the chicks begin to fly.

The lifespan of a swan is 25-30 years.

Types of swans

The modern classification includes only 7 species of swans.

Black swan (lat. Cygnus atratus) - the body of an adult reaches a length of 110-140 cm, with a weight of 4-8 kg. Due to the presence of 31 cervical vertebrae, the species is distinguished by the longest neck among swans. The edges of the wings are covered with curly feathers.

The black swan lives in Australia, New Zealand and the island of Tasmania. It prefers shallow fresh water bodies and leads a sedentary lifestyle, flying no further than 100 km from its place of birth.

Black-necked swan (lat. Cygnus melancoryphus) - representatives of the species grow up to 110-140 cm and have a body weight of 3.5-6.5 kg, with males being much larger than females. The neck and head are painted black, the body is snow-white. The gray beak has a characteristic red growth at the base.

A pair of black-necked swans.

During the nesting season they live in the south of South America; in winter they fly to Brazil and Paraguay.

Mute swan (lat. Cygnus olor) - the swan got its name due to the hissing sound made when dissatisfied.

Mute swan with chick.

Representatives of the species are distinguished by a long body up to 180 cm and a very long, curved neck. Females weigh up to 6 kg, males up to 13, sometimes up to 20 kg.

The northern part of Europe and Asia is considered the homeland of the mute swan. The species was introduced to Australia and the American continents, where it safely exists to this day.

Trumpeter swan (lat. Cygnus buccinator) - the special structure of the larynx and trachea allows the swan to make characteristic trumpet sounds. The body length is 150-180 cm, and the weight is 10-12 kg. Outwardly similar to the whooper swan, but has a completely black beak.

The general population lives in the vast bodies of water of the North American tundra. The main colony resides permanently in the heart of North America; the inhabitants of Alaska migrate to the southeastern part of the continent.

American (American tundra) swan

American (American tundra) swan (lat. Cygnus columbianus) - a small representative of swans of the northern hemisphere grows up to 115-146 cm, weighs 4-9 kg and has a wingspan of up to 2 m. Representatives of the species resemble a whooper swan, are distinguished by a short neck and orange stripes on the black beak.

The range covers the most remote areas of the North American tundra and forest-tundra. The winter is spent off the coast of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In Russia they are found in Chukotka, Anadyr and the Commander Archipelago.

Small (tundra) swan

Small (tundra) swan (lat. Cygnus bewickii) - the species is similar to the whooper, but much smaller in size. The body length is 115-127 cm, and the weight is 5-6 kg. The voice, similar to the voice of a whooper, sounds quieter and lower.

The habitat is distributed only in Russia. The western population is found from the Kola Peninsula, to Taimyr and Yamal, and flies to France and the Netherlands for the winter. The eastern colony inhabits the tundra zone from the Lena River to the north of Chukotka, wintering in Japan, China and Korea.

Whooper swan (lat. Cygnus cygnus) - large individuals have a body weight of up to 10 kg, females and males are practically the same in appearance. The neck is held straight, the white color acquires at the 3rd year of life. The species is distinguished by a bright yellow beak with a black tip.

Breeding populations extend north through the Scandinavian countries to Chukotka and Sakhalin. The southern part of the population lives in reservoirs of Mongolia and Japan. The winter is spent in the Mediterranean, Caspian Seas, China, India and Australia.

Some colonies remain to winter in flowing and partially frozen water bodies of Eurasia.

In many cultures, the graceful bird symbolizes marital fidelity, grace, beauty and nobility. Since ancient times, the swan has been considered an unapproachable and proud bird, worthy of reverence and admiration: for the Yakuts, the swan is a totem animal, the Ainu believed that man descended from the swan.

Swans and humans: black and white.

The whooper swan is the national bird of Finland, and the mute swan is especially revered in Denmark. The black swan adorns the emblem of Western Australia.

Swan.

Lonely swan. Belarus, Ivyevsky district, near the village of Zhemyslavl.

Due to the ruthless extermination of birds for the sake of valuable fluff and delicious meat, hunting for endangered subspecies is prohibited. Swans receive conservation status, and keeping them in captivity and semi-captivity increases the population size.

03.06.2012 - 13:40

Everyone will agree that the swan is perhaps the most majestic and proud bird of all existing on earth. And of all the birds living in Europe, it is also the largest. Its body is elongated, dense and rounded, the neck is equal in length to the body. The swan's plumage is lush and dense, with a lot of fluff.

Lake Ghost

The swan, as they say, “keeps its posture.” When he swims on the surface of the water, his movements are measured and unhurried. Swans do not like to walk on land; they prefer to be in the water. In the wild, these birds are very cautious and try to stay away from the shores.

A swan pursued through the water can develop quite a high speed while afloat, but if the enemy does not lag behind, then this bird begins to literally run across the water, splashing its paws and occasionally flapping its wings heavily. In flight, the swan differs from other birds by its neck stretched far forward and rare wing flaps with a characteristic sound.

Small and large

Scientists count six species of swans in nature. One of the most common is the whooper swan. Whooper swans nest in the northern half of Eurasia, from Iceland to Sakhalin, and south to the Mongolian steppes and northern Japan. They differ from their other brothers by the loud trumpet call they make in flight, which carries over long distances. The plumage of the male and female screamers is snow-white. The weight of a whooper swan reaches 7-10 kg, and sometimes 13 kg. When the whooper swims through the water, it holds its neck strictly vertically, its wings are pressed tightly to its body, and its head looks straight.

The black swan, unlike the whooper, is, accordingly, black in color, only its flight feathers are white, as a result of which the flight of the black swan is unusually beautiful. This bird was once widespread in Australia, but is now extremely rare in the wild. The black swan is easily tamed, and in many parks and gardens in Europe it serves as an ornamental bird.

The black-necked swan received its name for the black coloration of the head and neck with the white color of the rest of the plumage. It is much smaller than the whooper swan, weighing about 5-6 kg. The black-necked swan is native to South America.

The small or tundra swan nests in the tundra, from the Kola Peninsula in the west to Kolyma in the east, capturing the islands of the Arctic Ocean. He differs from his brothers in having a slightly more sonorous voice. Its weight, like that of the black-necked one, is about 6 kg.

The American swan is similar to the small swan, only slightly larger in size and has a thinner neck. Previously widespread in the tundra of North America, it is now extremely rare. Those that remain winter along the Pacific coast of North America to California and the Atlantic coast to Florida. It can also be found in Russia: on Anadyr, the Commander Islands and Chukotka.

And the last variety is the mute swan. Unlike the whooper, when swimming, it often bends its neck in the shape of the Latin letter S, and holds its beak and head inclined towards the water. The neck of the mute is thicker, and therefore from a distance it appears shorter than that of the whooper. In flight, the mute mute does not make loud trumpeting sounds, and when its wings flap, a characteristic creak of large flight feathers can be heard from afar. When irritated, this swan makes a hissing sound, which is how it got its name. Up close, it is easily distinguishable by the large growth (bump) on the forehead. Its range is in the middle and southern zone of Europe and Asia from southern Sweden, Denmark and Poland in the west to Mongolia and China in the east. But even in these “their” territories, the mute mute is extremely rare.

Habitat

Swans like to nest on large lakes; they prefer reservoirs heavily overgrown with reeds and other aquatic and coastal vegetation near the shores. Sometimes swans also settle on sea coasts if there are reed thickets there. In places where these birds are treated respectfully and not disturbed, they also nest in small ponds, often near human habitation.

With some exceptions, the swan is a migratory bird, but sometimes migratory birds also remain for the winter in the nesting area. For example, whoopers spend part of the winter on ice-free straits and ice holes off the coast of Scandinavia, on the White and Baltic seas.

In early spring, when the snow has not yet melted and the reservoirs are covered with ice, you can observe the return of swans from wintering grounds to their homeland. In the southern nesting areas, these birds appear already in mid-March, and by the end of May swans arrive, preferring the harsh north. Swans arrive at nesting sites in pairs. New, young pairs are formed in wintering grounds, while old ones do not break up and remain for many years of life.

Soon after arrival, each pair occupies a fairly large area for obtaining food and building a nest. The swan family does not tolerate the presence of other swans in its area, and on this basis there are sometimes fierce fights between pairs. The birds collide with their chests, rise above the water and beat each other with their wings, accompanying their actions with loud screams.

One to two weeks after arriving at home, the female makes a rather bulky nest in the form of a large pile of branches, tree twigs, reeds, grass and other similar building material. The bottom is lined with softer and more delicate material - dry stems of herbaceous plants, moss, feathers and down, which the female plucks from her chest and belly during egg-laying. The nest is usually located among reeds or reeds, most often in a dry place, occasionally in shallow water. In the latter case, the nest rests on the bottom of the reservoir or partially floats in the water.

By mid-summer, swans have chicks, and from the first days they are able to obtain food on their own. The entire brood stays together and often goes south in its entirety. If you accidentally stumble upon a nest or chicks of a swan, then be prepared for a serious battle. The swan - a brave and strong bird - will protect its offspring to the end, using its beak and wings. A swan can break a person's arm with a blow from its wing.

Legends and myths

For a long time, people have worshiped swans, revering them for their proud and unapproachable appearance. For many peoples of the Trans-Urals, for example, the Yakuts, swans were totem animals. The Ainu had legends about the origin of man from the swan; the Mongols believed that the first people on earth were made from swan paws. The peoples of Siberia believed that in winter swans turn into snow, and in spring - vice versa.

As already mentioned, swan couples, having met once, live together for many years. Perhaps this “human” feature of theirs has made swans extraordinary heroes of many fairy tales and legends. Often in them, swans are able to take on a human form and have a human character. For example, we are all familiar with the fairy tale that tells how swans flew to the lake, shed their plumage, turned into girls and began to swim. A guy who happened to be nearby grabbed one of the skins, and its owner became his wife. Oddly enough, this fairy tale sounds exactly the same in India, Russia, and the Scandinavian countries.

Like people, swans in legends can have opposite personalities. Simply put, swans present in the fairy tales of one people can be both “bad” and “good”. For example, in some Slavic fairy tales, swans serve Baba Yaga and steal small children for her. But they can also help kidnapped children avoid an evil fate and return home.

The “swan” theme is very important in Russian wedding folklore. In folk lyrics, the image of a girl “weaving” white wings for herself in order to fly away to her beloved is widespread. But in ancient times, killing and roasting swans was allowed only for princely weddings, and only newlyweds had the right to eat it.

The ancient Greeks forever imprinted the image of a swan in the heavens. They called the Milky Way the Swan Road because during the spring migration, the location of the Milky Way approximately coincides with the direction of the bird flocks. The Greeks called one of the constellations located in the Milky Way the constellation Cygnus.

As a result of the annual rotation of our planet, Cygnus makes a circle above the earth. In winter it is below the horizon (relative to Greece), and in summer it is visible almost at the zenith. In the spring, appearing over the horizon, the Swan “flies” to the south. During the summer solstice, it turns west and then north, only to disappear below the horizon again in late autumn.

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It would be difficult to name birds that are more romantic and mysterious than swans. People have long worshiped them, admiring such qualities of these birds as their majestic and proud appearance, beauty and grace and, of course, that same swan fidelity, which is spoken of in legends and sung in songs. In ancient times, swans became totem animals for many peoples.

But what are they like - real ones, not legendary or fabulous, but quite ordinary earthly swans? And what else, besides the features listed above, can these birds be remarkable and interesting?

Description of swans

Swans are large, majestic waterfowl from the duck family, which in turn belongs to the order Anseriformes. Currently, there are seven known species of living swans and ten extinct species, and it is possible that they became extinct not without human intervention. All types of swans can only have plumage of achromatic colors - black, gray or white.

Appearance

Swans are considered the largest waterfowl on Earth, their weight reaches 15 kg, and their wingspan is up to two meters. The color of the plumage can be not only snow-white, but also coal-black, as well as various shades of gray. The color of the beak in most species is gray or dark yellow, and only in the black swan and the mute mute it is red. All species of swans have a characteristic growth above their beak, the color of which depends on the species to which the bird belongs: it can be black, yellow or red.

The main external feature that distinguishes swans from ducks and other birds similar to them is their long neck, which helps birds find food in the water. Their legs are short, so on land swans do not look as graceful as in water, and their gait looks somewhat clumsy. But, thanks to the well-developed muscles of the wings, the swan flies well, and in flight it looks almost as impressive as when swimming: it flies, stretching its neck far and cutting through the air with the flapping of its strong wings.

A flock of swans migrating south in autumn makes a truly strong impression when it flies over empty fields and yellowed forests on a foggy and rainy morning, filling the surrounding area with loud, sad cries, as if saying goodbye to their native places until spring.

This is interesting! Swan Lake, located near Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, with its snow-white and jet-black majestic birds swimming on it, inspired the Russian composer Pyotr Ivanovich Tchaikovsky to write the music for the ballet “Swan Lake”.

Sexual dimorphism in swans is not very pronounced, so it is not so easy to distinguish a male from a female, since they have the same body size, beak shape, their necks are the same length, and the color of the plumage in males and females of the same species also coincides. Swans' chicks, unlike adult birds, are rather plain-looking and lack the grace of their parents. The color of their down is usually dirty gray in various shades.

Character and lifestyle

They swim majestically, sedately and measuredly, cutting through the surface of the water, and at the same time their movements are filled with proud leisurelyness. When a swan plunges its head and neck into the water in search of food, its body hangs down after them, so that only the back of the body is visible, resembling from a distance a small pillow topped with a small tail. Swans living in the wild are very cautious, they do not trust either people or other animals and prefer to stay away from the shore, where danger may be waiting for them.

If a real, and not an imaginary, threat hangs over them, then the birds prefer to swim away from their enemy through the water, and only if they cannot avoid pursuit, they scatter across the water, slapping its webbed paws on its surface and flapping heavily from time to time. wings. If this does not help to hide from the predator that is overtaking them, only then do the swans reluctantly rise into the air. When for some reason a swan cannot take off, it dives under the water and tries to avoid danger.

Birds living in parks and zoos quickly get used to the fact that the attention of visitors is constantly focused on them. They become trusting of people and graciously agree to accept food from them. Swans are very proud; they do not tolerate the presence of neighbors and, especially, competitors next to them. An already established couple will desperately defend their territory, not allowing anyone outside into their possessions.

These birds can be aggressive if someone disturbs the peace and enters their territory. Swans are very strong and in a one-on-one fight with a person they can easily break their enemy’s arm with a blow of their wing, and their powerful and strong beak makes them even more formidable opponents. If they settle close to humans, for example, in gardens or parks, this means that the birds completely trust people and allow them to approach them in exchange for protection and feeding. Only in this case can they come to terms with the presence of neighbors.

This is interesting! Scientists studying these birds have noticed that black swans have the most calm and peaceful disposition. But white mute cats, on the contrary, can be very cocky and aggressive.

All types of swans are classified as migratory birds. In the fall, they leave their native places to winter on the coast of warm southern seas or ice-free lakes, and return back in the spring. A flock of flying swans with a leader flying in front is called a wedge.

How long do swans live

Swans are considered long-lived birds, and, indeed, they can live from 20 to 25 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity. However, the legend that says that these birds can live up to 150 years is, unfortunately, a fiction that does not correspond to the actual lifespan of these amazing and truly beautiful creatures.

Types of swans

There are currently seven species of swans in the world:

• whooper swan;
• mute swan;
• trumpeter swan;
• small swan;
• American swan;
• black Swan;
• black-necked swan.

Whooper

One of the most common types of swans. These birds nest in the northern part of Eurasia, from Iceland to Sakhalin, and in the south their range extends to the Mongolian steppes and northern Japan. It differs from its other relatives in the trumpet call it makes during flight, which carries over long distances. The color of the down-rich plumage of whoopers is snow-white. Their beak is lemon yellow with a black tip. Another external feature of these birds is that on the water they do not bend their necks like other swans, but hold it strictly vertically.

Mute

Unlike the whooper, which is outwardly similar to it, when swimming it bends its neck in the shape of the Latin letter S, and holds its head inclined to the surface of the water. Due to the fact that the mute mute is generally larger and more massive than the whooper, its neck visually looks thicker and from a distance appears shorter than it actually is. When flying, the mute mute does not make trumpet clicks, but the sound of its large and strong wings cutting through the air, accompanied by a characteristic creaking sound emitted by wide and long flight feathers, can be heard from afar.

This is interesting! This bird is named so because, expressing its displeasure, it emits an angry hiss.

Mute mules live in the middle and southern regions of Asia and Europe. Their range stretches from southern Sweden, Denmark and Poland in the west to China and Mongolia in the east. However, even there you can rarely meet these swans, as they are very cautious and distrustful.

Outwardly similar to the whooper, but, unlike the yellow-black beak of the latter, its beak is completely black. Trumpeters are large birds, whose weight reaches 12.5 kg, and body length - 150-180 cm. They live in the North American tundra, their favorite nesting places are large lakes and wide, slowly flowing rivers.

This species, nesting in the tundra of Eurasia, ranging from the Kola Peninsula in the west to Kolyma in the east, is also called tundra. What distinguishes it from its fellows is that the small swan is much smaller in size. Its body length is 115-127 cm and its weight is about 5-6 kg. The voice of a tundra swan is similar to the voice of a whooper, but at the same time it is somewhat quieter and lower. Its beak is mostly black, only the upper part is yellow. The little swan likes to settle in open water spaces, and, on the contrary, tries to avoid forest reservoirs.

It looks like a small one, only it may be a little larger than the latter (up to 146 cm) and its neck is slightly shorter and thinner. The color of the beak is almost completely black, except for a couple of small bright yellow spots in its upper part, located on the sides.

This is interesting! The pattern on the beaks of American swans is individual and unique, just like human fingerprints.

Previously, this species was widespread and lived in the North American tundra. But nowadays it doesn't happen very often. It prefers to winter along the Pacific coast to California in the south and the Atlantic Ocean to Florida. It is also found in Russia: in Anadyr, Chukotka and the Commander Islands.

This bird is distinguished by almost black plumage, only the flight feathers on its wings are white. Many black swans have individual inner feathers that are also white. They shine through the upper, black feathers, so that the overall tone from a distance may seem dark gray, but up close, if you look closely, you can see concentric white stripes diverging from the main black color. Even the paws of this species are black, exactly the same as the upper feathers. The beak is a very bright red color and has a white ring on the front.

Black swans are slightly smaller than mute swans: their height ranges from 110 to 140 cm, and their weight is from four to eight kilograms. It has a very long neck, consisting of 32 cervical vertebrae, thanks to which the bird can engage in underwater hunting in deeper bodies of water. Unlike the mute, the black swan can make trumpet sounds, calling on its relatives or expressing dissatisfaction. They live in Australia and Tasmania. But in Europe, as well as North America, black swans are also found, however, as semi-wild birds living in parks and nature reserves.

Black-necked swan

It differs from the rest of its relatives in the unusual two-color color of its plumage: its head and neck are painted black, while the rest of the body is snow-white. Around the eyes there is a narrow white frame in the form of a stripe. The beak of these birds is dark gray, at its base there is a large bright red growth. The legs of black-necked swans are light pink. These birds live in South America, from Chile in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south, and fly to Paraguay and Brazil for the winter.

Range, habitats

Most species of swans live in temperate climates and only a few of them can live in the tropics. These birds live in Europe, some Asian countries, America and Australia. Swans do not live in tropical Asia, northern South America or Africa. On the territory of Russia they are found in tundra zones and, much less frequently, in forest zones. To the south, their range extends from the Kola Peninsula to the Crimea and from the Kamchatka Peninsula to Central Asia.

This is interesting! Some of the swan species have been declared national treasures. For example, whooper in Finland and mute in Denmark. The latter, in addition, in Great Britain are considered the personal property of the queen, and only members of the royal family are allowed to use the meat of these birds for food.

The favorite habitats of swans are large lakes, overgrown with reeds and other aquatic vegetation along the shores. Sometimes they can settle on the sea coast if there are reed beds nearby. If people treat these birds with respect and are not too annoying, they can settle in ponds near populated areas. With some exceptions, swans are migratory birds. But sometimes they can remain in their nesting areas. For example, whoopers sometimes spend the winter in the ice-free straits of the White and Baltic Seas.

Swans' diet

Swans mainly feed on plant food - roots, stems and shoots of plants, for which they dive, plunging their long necks into the water. Small animals such as frogs, worms, bivalves and small fish are also often their food. On the ground, these birds can nibble grass, as, for example, their distant relatives, geese, do.

This is interesting! White swans are particularly voracious. The daily amount of food they eat is up to a quarter of the bird’s weight.

Finding food for swans is usually not difficult. However, there may be periods in their life when they have to go on a strict diet, which happens, for example, in the event of prolonged bad weather or when the water level rises greatly and the bird cannot reach the plants growing at the bottom. In this case, they can become very thin and exhausted. But even a forced hunger strike is not able to force these birds to leave their usual places and go in search of others, more promising in terms of food.

Swans - they are simply Divine! There is no limit to their beauty and grace. These white and black birds are swans! They are as unique as they are beautiful. Today we will tell you about these wonderful birds.

Swans... When we talk about these birds, something beautiful, elegant and sophisticated immediately appears. One cannot help but admire these wonderful creatures. Whether black, white or gray swans, each one is beautiful and unique in its own way. Swans belong to the genus Anatidae, the order Anseriformes. Some scientists identify six species, but according to other sources there are seven. It is believed that swans are the largest aquatic birds.

Mute swan

Why were these birds called that? When a moment of danger comes, or something irritates the bird, this swan begins to make interesting sounds, very similar to hissing. The mute swan is distinguished by the presence of a very prominent orange-red beak. The wingspan size is approximately two and a half meters, the length of an adult bird is about two meters, weight is from 5 to 13 kilograms.

The habitats of this swan are limited to small bodies of water: the bird lives near estuaries, ponds, and lakes. It is noteworthy that the mute swan is protected in some countries, for example: in Belarus, Bashkortostan and several regions of Russia.

Since the mute swan lives near water bodies, its food consists mainly of vegetation growing within this body of water. The main food is aquatic plants, along with which the mute swan’s “lunch” also includes mollusks found in the plant being eaten. How does a bird get its food underwater? It was not for nothing that nature gave her a long neck. It not only gives the bird gracefulness, but also helps to get food. So, the bird can dive under water up to 90 cm deep.

It must be said that when moving on water, the mute swan looks more graceful than on land. When it swims, it arches its neck gracefully and looks very beautiful, and when it comes out of the water, its short legs become visible, giving it a clumsy appearance.

Whooper swan

During the mating season, these birds make loud clicking sounds, which is why they were called whooper swans.

Like all swans, these birds have a fairly decent size and weight (up to 10 kilograms). They are distinguished by a bright beak, which is painted lemon yellow.

The habitat is mainly water bodies. Habitat: northern forests of the Eurasian continent.

The food of whooper swans is aquatic plants and invertebrate animals that live in the reservoir.

trumpeter swan

A very rare bird: today there are only 6,000 pairs. It lives mainly in the tundra of North America near large and wide bodies of water. Outwardly, it resembles a whooper swan, but the color of the beak (and the trumpeter’s is completely black) defines the bird as a separate species.

The trumpeter swan, like all swans, feeds on plants in the pond and small mollusks.

Black Swan

Among all swans, these are distinguished by the longest neck. Because of this feature, black swans reach almost one and a half meters in height.

Incredibly beautiful birds: they have black plumage interspersed with many white spots, and the beak has a bright red tint. But the most unique thing is that black swans’ beaks glow! Not everyone is endowed with such beauty.

Black swans live in Australia and on the island of Tasmania. These birds are not migratory.

little swan

Lives in Russia, in the tundra zone (which is why the bird is sometimes called the “tundra swan”). For the winter it flies to the countries of Western Europe.

The small swan is so named because among all types of swans it has the smallest size: it is barely more than a meter in height and weighs no more than 6 kilograms.

The little swan feeds not only on aquatic plants, but also on some things growing on land, for example: berries, grass, potatoes.

Black-necked swan

This type of swans is clearly different from its “brothers”. It has a slender black neck, the rest of the body is covered with snow-white feathers, and its beak is gray and has a red growth. The bird is quite tall, its height is up to 140 cm.

The chicks are well developed and from the first days of life accompany their parents and search for food along with adults.

The swan bird is a symbol of beauty, tenderness and grace. Thanks to their proud posture, these beautiful creatures are known all over the world and are constant heroes of a number of fairy tales, legends, traditions and modern cartoons. Many species of swans are permanent residents of city ponds, where people feed them. In addition, recently the practice of breeding swans in captivity for further maintenance in frequent artificial ponds and reservoirs.

The swan bird is a symbol of beauty, tenderness and grace.

These birds are under special protection in some regions of the planet, so their numbers remain stable. Some breeds of swans, which were in danger of extinction, were diverted from this dangerous trait due to the measures taken. Now their numbers are gradually recovering. Thanks to the increased attention from ornithologists, many interesting facts about swans, their life and behavior in the wild have become known to the general public.

Thanks to modern tools used to track the movements of wild birds, much more is known about their distribution areas than 50 years ago. Not only its appearance, but also its lifestyle depends on where a swan lives. The most numerous northern species tend to be migratory birds. In summer, they are found in tundra and forest areas of America and Europe. Here, during a period of abundance, they try to hatch chicks and fatten.

Some species of these unique birds are actively settling in the middle zone. This largely depends on whether there are freshwater bodies of water in a particular region that can provide these large birds with the necessary amount of food. Typically, northern species of swans migrate to more southern regions for the winter, populating the waters of Africa, India and some remote islands. Obtaining this information was made possible thanks to sensors that ornithologists studying the behavior of these birds attached to the legs of individual individuals. It became known that these birds do not always return to the same wintering place as in previous years.

When flying from the northern meadows, the American swan tries to find a suitable body of water in the south, that is, on the California coast and Florida, where it will be reliably protected from human eyes and predators. This species is protected because its numbers are not too high. The white swan can sometimes winter in the middle zone, inhabiting large urban reservoirs where the water does not freeze. Here the birds rely on regular feeding from people. The exact criteria for choosing a wintering site are unknown.

Thanks to their proud posture, these beautiful creatures are known all over the world.

Small populations live in Central Asia and northern Africa. In addition, the birds are found in New Zealand and Australia. In regions where the air temperature does not drop to critical levels, birds may not make long migrations. They typically live in tropical swamps and lakes. Usually these birds live in pairs throughout the year, protecting their chosen area from other birds. None of the swan species will tolerate invaders near them. They fiercely defend the territory they occupy.

Gallery: swan bird (25 photos)

The most graceful birds (video)

Appearance

Most people know from early childhood what this majestic bird looks like. This is due to the fact that swans have a number of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of the family. Birds are the largest waterfowl found in nature. Depending on the variety, the body length of the bird can vary from 1.2 to 1.8 m. The wingspan usually ranges from 2 to 3 m. The weight of a swan, depending on its variety, can range from 5-6 to 8-12 kg. The physique is very dense. The wings are strong and wide, which allows them to support a fairly large body weight. Considering the description of the swan, special attention is drawn to the long S-shaped neck.

Each species of these waterfowl has its own neck posture. For example, some species of these birds hold their necks vertically, while others bend their necks strongly. They need such a long neck for balance. The beak of birds is quite large in size. It is slightly flattened and wide. Some varieties have a characteristic thickening at the base.

The beak of a swan, depending on its breed, can be pure black, red or yellow, or include a combination of these colors.

Despite the fact that, when on the surface of the water, these birds look airy and graceful, on land they are very clumsy. This is due to the fact that their paws are relatively short and equipped with membranes. This makes it much more difficult to move on a hard surface. The paws are positioned so as to make it easier for the swan to swim. Usually the lower limbs are dark in color.

These birds have a rather short tail. Below it is the so-called coccygeal gland. Almost all waterfowl have it. This gland is necessary for the production of waxy fat, which is later used by the bird to lubricate its plumage. This treatment makes it waterproof. In most cases, the plumage of adults is a single color of gray, black or white, but some varieties have combinations of these colors. The swan's plumage is very soft to the touch, so these birds often became victims of people who wanted to get them. The young are easily recognizable as they are gray in color.

Most people know from early childhood what this majestic bird looks like.

Common types

These birds, depending on the area in which they settle, have acquired specific features. Currently, there are 7 main varieties of these birds, including:

• mute;
• whooper;
• black;
• black-necked;
• American;
• small
• trumpeter.

They all have their own individual characteristics. It is worth considering the most remarkable characteristics of the most commonly encountered varieties of these birds. For example, the whooper, which is extremely common in Eurasia, after several molts during puberty, acquires snow-white plumage, dark colored paws and a bright yellow beak. These creatures are distinguished by a timid disposition and try to stay in the center of the reservoir, away from the shores. These birds are called whoopers because they can be easily identified by the loud sounds they make.

Another common species that coexists with whoopers is the mute mute. Birds have a lot in common. However, mutes always keep their necks in a curved position while swimming, and whoopers always keep their necks in a vertical position. In addition, this species has a characteristic knob-like growth at the base of the beak. This white swan usually settles away from humans. They love privacy and silence very much.

The black-necked swan has a rather exotic appearance. These birds live only in a limited area in South America. These are very beautiful swans. Their body is covered with snow-white feathers, and their necks and heads are black. The black-necked swan looks very contrasting. The picture is complemented by a gray beak with a bright red knobby growth.

The American swan is also notable. He is one of the smallest representatives of this group. Individuals of this species of swans usually reach a weight of no more than 5-6 kg. They inhabit mainly tundra areas of North America. They choose quiet, remote areas to raise their chicks. Only here are there favorable conditions for these animals.

The trumpeter swan also deserves special attention. The bird followed a special path of development, and therefore has a number of differences from its relatives. The trumpeter swan strongly resembles a mute swan. This is a very large bird, weighing up to 13 kg. The body length of a bird such as the trumpeter swan is about 180 cm. A notable feature is the presence of an almost flat black beak without a bump. The trumpeter swan has very thick plumage, thanks to which it can arrive at nesting sites earlier than many other relatives. Due to their large size, these birds are a tasty prey for hunters. In some areas, the trumpeter swan is under special protection.

Whooper swan (video)

Lifestyle of swans

The main elements for this bird are air and water. Thanks to their unique body structure and very dense plumage, these majestic creatures are able to rise to a height of about 8000 m. Swans are monogamous creatures. They spend their entire life together with their partner. If one of the birds in a pair dies, the second can find a new mate, provided that it is young enough. Old individuals can spend the rest of their lives alone. Most species of these birds make long migrations. At the same time, there are also those who live sedentary lives. Swans, like all waterfowl, consume a wide variety of food that they can obtain in and around a body of water. Birds' diet usually includes:

• seaweed;
• roots;
• small aquatic insects;
• frogs;
• small fish;
• crustaceans;
• herbs.

Thus, a swan can be called an omnivore, since it can eat food of both plant and animal origin. Despite the fact that these birds cannot dive to great depths, their long neck helps them get food. Adult individuals have practically no natural enemies, since birds rarely go ashore, so attacks by large predatory animals do not pose a danger to them. When birds see a threat, they may fly or dive into the water. Birds of prey, including golden eagles and river ospreys, pose a serious threat to young individuals. A couple defending their territory can be very aggressive. They can easily drive away an arctic fox, a fox or a marten from the nest. In this case, adults use their large wings and strong beak. A large bird, when attacking, can even break a person's arm.

Behavior of swans during the breeding season

Despite the fact that birds arrive at their nesting sites quite early, their mating games generally begin in late spring, when the temperature has already become stable. First, a pair of swans engages in courtship, performing special synchronized movements that allow them to renew their existing relationship. Next, the female swan, having found a secluded place in the sedge, begins building a nest. This place should be so large that the female can safely incubate eggs in the future. It can be from 1.5 to 3 m in diameter. The height of a swan's nest can reach 0.8 m. Usually there are from 3 to 9 eggs in a clutch.