Black swan | Facts & Information

Origin

It is the largest large waterfowl, native to Australia, living in the South-East and south-west areas of Australia and in Tazmania. She also lived in New Zealand where she was hunted to extinction. It was later reintroduced.

The Australian Black Swan has a large spreading area. It feels at home near fresh water. The bigger the better for her.

It can be found in Rivers, lagoons, marshes, large lakes, ponds, Meadows flooded with water or large.

Read Also the flight of birds

Black Swan Food

The Black Swan feeds on various plants, lentils, sedge, etc.it is a vegetarian bird, it gets its food from water and rarely from land. It can partially sink to depths of one and a half meters. The fact that he has a neck longer than his body the longest neck of all swans gives him an advantage. It can reach plants somewhat lower than other swans or waterfowl that do not dive.

When food is scarce it has a nomadic behavior, otherwise it is sedentary. It operates during the day but generally feeds on the inset. Sometimes it also feeds on insects. Food consists mostly of one type of leaf and an underwater algae that they prefer more than others. Depending on the area most rely on algae.

Black swans were discovered in 1697 by Willem de Vlamingh. Today they are protected by the laws of Australia, becoming the official bird of the country. Currently the number of black swans is somewhere around 500,000.

See also bird mating

Features Black Swan

The Black Swan has a body length of 110 – 135cm, wingspan of 160-200cm and weight up to 8-9 kg. The height is 120cm. It is the only species of almost entirely black swan.

Of all the Swans, the Black Swan has the longest neck, this is more than half the total length of the bird. The plumage is completely black except for a few feathers on the wing tips which are white. The beak is red.

The legs are black in color. Females are slightly smaller than males and have a slightly wider beak. Chickens are gray in color. The male is much larger than the female.

The Black Swan is much more sociable than the other swan species. It is found as a decorative bird in zoos. Her specific appearance with arched neck makes her loved and loved. Another feature is the reddish beak that stands out from the black plumage.

Predators make them run with the noise produced by the flapping of their wings and by arching their necks to appear more imposing. Its eggs are preyed upon by rats and other raptors. And the chicks if they get out of sight are preyed upon by Raptors and some seagulls.

The Australian black swan, because it is so called, lives in larger or smaller flocks and is the least territorial of all swans.

Unlike the summer Swan or mute swan as it is also called, the Black Swan communicates. Sounds are characteristic when communicating, defending their territory or those during the mating season. And flapping is a communication when they feel threatened or someone encroaches on their territory, it makes it clear that intruders are not welcome.

Black swan breeding

Like other species of Swan and Black Swan It is monogamous. The male and female form a strong bond, often for life, and both participate in nest building and raising offspring.

Maturity is reached at the age of three. During the nuptial ritual, the partners shout at each other, stretch their necks with their beak up and flap their wings, then swim in circles holding their beak down. It is said that only 6% of pairs do not stay together, which is quite good, the percentage is quite small.

The nest is quite large considering the size of the bird. Nesting takes place in pairs or in small colonies, depending on food and place. Usually the female builds the Nest which is made up of leaves, nearby vegetation, mud, branches, etc.

It is located on an island or in vegetation near the water. All nests are located near the water.

During the entire breeding season, Swans are more aggressive than usual. They protect their territory and eggs or chicks. Australian Swans breed in February-September. The female lays 4-8 eggs that are hatched by both parents for 35-45 days.

After hatching the chicks remain in the care of their parents for 2-3 months until they leave the nest. The family stays together until after the first winter, for about nine months. They can fly from the age of six months. Since the cycle lasts long enough the Black Swan gives birth to only one row of cubs per year.

After breeding they gather in flocks of thousands of birds. Chickens can swim and feed immediately after taking from the egg.

Life expectancy is 10 years in the wild, maybe even more, towards 20 years. In captivity they live longer because conditions are good all the time and in old age no predator expects them. I've heard that some websites say that the Black Swan lives 40 years. That's not true. We're talking about a bird, not a turtle.