Summer swan | Facts & Information

Origin

It is a migratory bird widespread in swamps, ponds and lakes with rich vegetation (stuff, rushes, etc.) in northern and Central Europe, Turkey, North America and Bancani.

Prefers tall vegetation. It is a widespread species in Europe and a symbol of royalty and purity.

In Romania it can be found in the Danube Delta in the summer season and some ponds in the south of the country. In winter they migrate to the southern Caspian Sea along with the other storks in the north of the continent. In milder winters many specimens remain in our country.

That means you can see Swans in the delta and in winter. It is protected by law because of its beauty and rarity.

The summer Swan is also known as the mute swan.

Read Also the flight of birds

Feeding the summer Swan

The diet of the summer Swan consists of plants, roots, seeds of herbs, worms, insects, mollusks or small fish. This, at least in our country, is more focused on water food.

With the help of the long neck they can dive to depths of over one meter. We can say that in general the Swan consumes aquatic vegetation or macrophytes.

Usually Swans prefer deep waters, where there are no ducks or other waterfowl. The advantage is that they do not have to compete with them when feeding.

Winter is a danger to Swans. The shore freezes and they "stubbornly" stay in the water.

During the winter the Swans lose weight because they no longer have the variety and quantity of food available as in the warm season.

See also bird mating

Features summer Swan

Summer Swan is considered the most beautiful and widespread among Swans. It can be easily recognized by its long S-shaped neck, white color, red-orange beak, "bump" at the junction between the forehead and beak and black legs.

It is 140-160cm long and weighs 8-12 kg. Males are usually larger. The wingspan is 2-2.5 meters. The feathers are white, the tail relatively long and sharp at the tip. The beak of the summer Swan at maturity is red-orange.

Puppies are gray-gray in color by the age of 2-3 years. That bulb, or bump as we call it, is more prominent in males.

It is a bird that lives in large groups. Dominant males drive away their rivals by leaps, various "glides" on the water or flapping their long wings. In flight they can reach speeds of 85km / h.

The summer Swan does not sing, but the wings produce a musical faltering in flight that is heard from a distance. That sound is produced by the air passing through the flight feathers.

When swimming the neck is held in an S-shape and the beak down while the wings stand raised in the form of a shield. In the parks and zoos of the big cities it is among the most appreciated decorative birds being tamed relatively easily.

The flight of the summer Swan and swans in general is spectacular. It takes about 10 meters to simply run on water to take flight.

Landing is done with the wings wide open hovering slightly above the water, then sliding and finally resting on the surface of the water. For landing it needs a space of 3-4m. the Swan has a highly developed territorial feel.

The natural enemies of swans are foxes and jackals that tend to them especially during the moulting period and in winter. It is generally an aggressive bird when it feels threatened or has cubs. It is rarely caught except when sick or old.

The most vulnerable are eggs that end up as food for raccoons, minks and other mammals. Usually the parents stay close to the nest to decrease the chances.

Breeding summer Swan

The summer Swan also nests in the lakes and ponds of the Danube delta where it makes its nest in reeds as far away from possible predators in Virgin places. Sometimes it also nests on slow rivers or canals closer to people if it has good conditions (if it feels safe, it easily procures food, etc.).

As I said above, it prefers tall vegetation because it is a large bird, it makes a nest to measure, of appreciable size.

It has been observed that the summer Swan may have 4-5 males. Sometimes they "divorce" each other.

During the rut he inflates his feathers and courts his partner graciously. After mating at the beginning of May, the female lays 5-12 white-gray eggs.

Eggs are hatched by both parents for 34-36 days. During this period the male defends his nest with determination. The more aggressive behavior of the summer Swan during the breeding season is known. He needs strangers to stay as far away as possible so he can hatch the eggs in peace.

Sexual maturity is reached at the age of three. Chicks begin to fly after 60 days. Both parents care for the Cubs until they are 5 months old when they become independent.

In the Danube Delta at the time of writing the article the situation of the species is stable. The number of summer Swans is around 1000 nesting pairs.

The summer Swan lives almost 20 years in the wild and 30-40 years in captivity.