Mute Swan [Cygnus Olor]

You can learn more about Mute Swan - https://avibirds.com/mute-swan/

In this video, we take a look at the Mute Swan

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Length: 140 to 160 cm (55 to 63 in)
Weight: 10.6 to 11.87 kg (23.4 to 26.2 lb)
Wingspan: 200 to 240 cm (79 to 94 in)

You can learn more about Mute Swan - https://avibirds.com/mute-swan/

LIFESPAN
Due to the habitat that Mute Swans usually occupy their lifespan comes down to around 12 years, as they have to deal with pollution, dogs, vandals, poisoning, injuries, etc.

If allowed to live in a protected environment, the Mute Swan can live up to 30 years. The greatest age that has been recorded on a banded Sawn has been 19 years in the wild. It's said that in captivity they could have lived up to 40 years.

HABITAT
Their lifespan is heavily tied to their habitat as if you're a European resident, you probably have encountered the Swan multiple times throughout your life if not on a daily basis even in the city and due to their partial migration, Asia also sees quite a few swans in their time.

When it comes to the city, they can be found in most larger bodies of water. Yearly the total population is around half a million after the breeding season, most of the population found in the northern and eastern Europe.

Most countries having around 10 to 20 thousand individual swans.

Once introduced to Northern America, the population has grown rapidly to the point where it is now considered somewhat invasive species.

BEHAVIOR

Mute Swans tend to nest on large mounds that they build with vegetation they can find around the designated spot, which usually tends to be vegetation in shallow waters where they mostly stay, as Mute Swans are known to prefer water much more than land, moving on the ground quite rarely in comparison.

As Swans are monogamous, they tend to reuse the same nests, rebuilding them if need be, but they usually build homes and families that continue for years to come.

If a Swan becomes widowed, they would eventually form a new couple and start a new family/nest.

The Mute Swans diet is also closely tied to their habitat, as they eat a wide range of vegetation including aquatic plants, agricultural crop plants as wheat. Utilising their long neck, they are also able to reach aquatic vegetation on the bottom of their occupied ponds.

REPRODUCTION
Mute Swans lay around 4 to 10 eggs during the breeding season and the female broods for around 36 days.

The young most commonly hatch between the months of May and July and are called cygnets. The cygnets grow mature enough to fly in 120 to 150 days (or 4 to 5 months).

This is also a great reason for the population distribution of the Mute Swan, as the cygnets need to learn how to fly before the water freezes.

TRIVIA
In popular culture, the Mute Swan has a decent amount of visibility, For example, to mark the ascension of the new 10 member states which occurred because of the Irish Presidency of the European Union, the Irish government released a commemorative Irish Euro coin that featured the Mute Swan in 2004.

Also, as the Mute Swan predominantly stays in Europe, the Mute Swan has been the national bird of Denmark to this day since 1984 (the past 36 years).

Swans are one of the largest and heaviest flying birds out there, Mute Swan being one of them, at the weight of up to 14 kilograms, the Swan haw proved to be a strong bird to deal with.

The size and weight also lead to many cautionary tales many European citizens will know, as you only need one bad experience to learn that a protective mother Swan is the last thing you want to deal with.

Swans are shown to be rather protective of their surroundings often attacking humans that get too close or show signs of aggression.

Another bird known to fight is the common goose, which comes at around 4 kilograms at the larger size.

So in comparison, the Mute Swan is up to 10 kilograms larger. But that comes short from the Trumpeter Swan, as it can reach up to 17 kilograms in weight.

And to keep up with the comparisons, it's as if you took both the common goose and the mute swan together.

You can read more about Mute Swan here - https://avibirds.com/mute-swan/

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