The cob is never far from his mate on the nest, keeping an eye out for intruders. If a potential predator gets too close, he will hiss at them mute swans are quiet birds on the whole, but are not really mute! The pen lays 5 - 8 large, greenish-brown eggs, one every two days. She does most of the incubation, which starts as soon as the last egg has been laid. This allows all the young to hatch at the same time, after 36 days. Fledglings usually remain close to their parents for continued protection and brooding until the next spring.
In late September, the young swans take daily practice flights in preparation for the winter migration. These flights are initially short, but get longer as the young grow stronger. As the temperatures go down and just before the water begins to freeze, family groups or mated pairs commence their migration to the wintering territories.
The young remain with their parents throughout the winter and migrate with them to their breeding territory in spring. When the cygnets are about one year old, the parents drive them away as they are getting ready for their next brood. The juveniles remain together in sibling groups until they are about two years old, at which time, they themselves commence their search for mates.
Some may return to their parents after the breeding season, since their family bonds are generally strong. Although this bird can be tame, especially to those who feed it daily, it is aggressive in defense of its nest, and its size and impressive hissing make it a formidable adversary for animals as large as a fox.
Large waterfowl, such as Canada Geese may be driven off, and there have been many reports of Mute Swans attacking people who enter their territory.
The cob is also responsible for defending the cygnets while on the water, and will sometimes attack small watercraft, such as canoes, that it feels are a threat to its young. The cob will also try and chase the predator out of his family territory, and will keep animals such as foxes and birds at bay. Trumpeter Swans will sometimes leave their nests if threatened.
Mute Swans will attack land animals in defense of their families, during the period before fledging of their offspring which, at six months, is longer than that of most other birds. Please Note: The articles or images on this page are the sole property of the authors or photographers.
Please contact them directly with respect to any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you. Beauty of Birds. Listing of Swan Species and Their Ranges Swans breed in freshwater marshes, ponds, lakes and along slow-flowing rivers. Nesting usually occurs from April through July.
A Life Long Habit Ever since breaking out of their egg, the young swans start the lifelong habit of preening. As already mentioned, they have favourite spots in which to do this, these can easily be spotted by areas of the bank having numerous feathers spread around it them.
Initially all the white feathers you see in these areas will belong to the adults, after all, the cygnets in this early stage are mainly covered with grey down. After about five to six weeks, the cygnets start to grow some proper feathers. These appear to first develop in the region of their growing wings, on the shoulders and then in the vicinity of the tail.
After that, their belly and sides. Over the next few weeks, their entire body will moult the rest of their fluffy down and replace them with brown feathers, the last places for the feathers to appear is on the head and neck. Feathers of a bird need to be kept in prime condition, and this is the function of the frequent preening. As time progresses, the cygnet will get larger and will have more and more feathers to attend to.
As a result, they will devote longer times to keeping their feathers in top condition. Without these regular and frequent preening sessions which can take around half an hour for a cygnet , bacteria and parasites that live on them, would degrade the feathers and amongst other things, reduce their insulating and waterproofing properties. As a part of their preening ritual, the cygnet will perform shakedowns, and these will get longer and longer as the youngster develops.
Maybe these longer shakings of the wings are also designed to help strengthen the wings muscles. Sometimes they will stand and flap their wings for over twenty seconds in a relatively slow and regular way. This normally coincides with the cygnets starting to have the urge to start flying.
These longer shakedowns of their flight feathers will stimulate much needed muscular development. Swans, their nests and eggs are protected by this legislation and it is illegal to kill, harm or disturb them in any way.
If for some reason the eggs are abandoned it is against the law to take the eggs and incubate them artificially. They may only be removed or handled by recognised groups who should act in the best interest of a sick or injured bird.
Should you come across an injured swan, please call the SSPCA or another recognised animal rescue who will be able to assist. Join today. They are …. Osprey Watch a look at the data. Farewell LM12 and LR2.
NC0 has left on migration. How do migrating ospreys find their way south? LR1 has left on migration. When will NC0 leave? Young osprey takes first flight at Loch of the Lowes. Stay up to date with the Scottish Wildlife Trust by subscribing to our mailing list Subscribe now.
Only fill in if you are not human. Home Blog Everything you need to know about mute swans. What does a mute swan look like? Adults are completely white, but the head can be stained rusty from feeding in acidic waters.
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