Mute Swan
Juvenile Mute Swan
Mute Swan chicks taking a ride on their mothers back
Mute Swan in-flight
Pair of Mute Swans during the mating season
Mute Swans on a winters day
Cygnus olor
One of the world’s heaviest flying birds, and one of the most beautiful too, the Mute Swan is a majestic waterfowl with a mean reputation.
Mute Swan
Juvenile Mute Swan
Mute Swan chicks taking a ride on their mothers back
Mute Swan in-flight
Pair of Mute Swans during the mating season
Mute Swans on a winters day
Length:
127cm to 152cm
Wingspan:
200cm to 240cm
Weight:
6.6kg to 15kg
The Mute Swan is an unmistakable, massive white bird with an orange bill and a black mask that reaches the eyes and includes a prominent black knob above the bill. They have long, elegant S-shaped necks and black legs with webbed feet.
Females (pens) are significantly smaller than males (cobs) and have shorter bills with smaller knobs. Baby Mute Swans are known as cygnets, and they may be either gray or white. Gray morph cygnets develop brown juvenile plumage before attaining their white adult plumage.
The Mute Swan is one of three UK swan species and can be distinguished from the Bewick’s Swan and Whooper Swan by its black mask and knob above the bill. They can be distinguished from native North American Swans by their orange bill.
Mute Swan walking across a frozen lake
Mute Swans have a total body length of 1.27 to 1.52 meters or about 4 to 5 feet.
Mute Swans are among the world’s heaviest flying birds. They can reach an astonishing 15 kilograms or 33 pounds, although an average adult male weighs around 10kg (22lb) and an average female weighs 8.4kg (18.5lb).
Mute Swans spend little time in flight, although they have a magnificent wingspan of 2 - 2.4 meters or 6ft 7in - 7ft 10in.
Mute Swan preening itself
The Mute Swan may be quieter than other Cygnus species, but it is certainly not silent. These birds trumpet, hiss, grunt, and snore. They are most vocal when threatened and during courtship.
Mute Swan being vocal
Mute Swans are omnivorous, although aquatic plants make up the bulk of their diet. They may also forage for grain in farmland when the water freezes over. Animal prey includes frogs, tadpoles, and insects. They also eat small dead or dying fish, although they struggle to swallow larger meals.
Mute Swan cygnets feed themselves, although they do not have their first meal for a week or so after hatching. The young birds can retrieve food below the surface almost right away, gradually learning to hold their breath for longer periods and even fully submerging themselves.
Mute Swan feeding
Mute Swans inhabit shallow fresh and brackish environments with abundant aquatic plants. They prefer water of 0.2 - 0.45 meters (8 to 18 inches) deep, where they can easily reach the bottom with their bill.
Look out for Mute Swans in the following habitats:
Mute Swans occur naturally from Ireland in the west to China in the East. They are widespread in Central Europe but sparsely distributed through Asia. Today they also occur in parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes region, and the Northeast of the United States.
Mute Swans spend most of their time on the water or along the bank. They occasionally move into adjacent fields to feed during harsh winters when the water freezes over.
Mute Swans are the most common Swan species in the United Kingdom, with about 7,000 pairs and over 50,000 individuals present in the winter. The species is localized but increasingly common in the US, with a population of about 15,000 at the turn of the century.
Flock of Mute Swans on the lake
Mute Swans have a patchy distribution in the United States, although feral birds are common in the Northeast from Ontario to North Carolina, in Michigan in the Great Lakes region, and in the Pacific Northwest.
Look out for these birds in the following areas:
Birdwatchers can see Mute Swans on shallow, well-vegetated waterbodies across most of the United Kingdom and Ireland. They are scarce or absent in parts of Southwest England, Wales, and Northern Scotland.
Mute Swan swimming on the lake
Mute Swans can live for at least 29 years in the wild, although their average life expectancy is about ten years.
Mammals like foxes, raccoons, and otters may eat Mute Swan eggs and cygnets. Healthy adults have few predators, although females are vulnerable to larger carnivores like coyotes when incubating their eggs.
Mute Swans in the United Kingdom are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. They do not enjoy the protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States, although it is illegal to hunt them in Michigan, and they are protected in New Jersey.
Mute Swans are not endangered. They have a green conservation status in the United Kingdom and are ranked ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List.
Mute Swan parent at the nest with its young
Mute Swan pairs work together to build a nest at a site chosen by the male but approved by the female. The nest is a large cup (up to four meters or thirteen feet across) of plant material such as reeds and grasses and built on a small island or along a heavily reeded bank.
Mute Swans build their nests in March and early May. Construction takes ten days or less, and they begin to lay their eggs three days later. The four to seven eggs are laid at two-day intervals and hatch after about 36 days.
Predictably, Mute Swan eggs are massive, ranging from 10 to 12 centimeters (4+ inches) long and 7 to 8 centimeters (3 inches) at their widest. Interestingly, their eggs are blueish-green when fresh but become whitish during incubation.
Mute Swans typically mate for life. These birds form lifelong pair bonds and usually only seek a new mate if their partner should die.
Pair of Mute Swans at their nest site
Nest of a Mute Swan with seven eggs
Mute Swans can be highly aggressive, particularly during the nesting season when established pairs do not tolerate the presence of other Mute Swans in their territory. Males are more aggressive than females, although both sexes are involved in conflicts. Physical fights involve striking with the wrists, biting, and occasionally drowning the opponent.
Mute Swans may attack humans that threaten their eggs or young. However, these birds rarely attack if unprovoked and usually give fair warning by hissing and spreading their wings. Read this article to learn more about swan aggression and how to avoid conflict with these magnificent birds.
Mute Swans sleep on the water or on the bank nearby.
Mute Swan in a pond protecting the family
Mute Swans are migratory in parts of their range and resident in others. The UK population can be seen throughout the year, although they may undertake local movements in harsh winters, and some birds visit from Continental Europe. Across the Atlantic in the United States, they follow a similar pattern, only moving south from frozen waterways or to the coast for the winter.
Mute Swans are not a native species in North America. They were first introduced in the 1800s as ornamental birds and have since become a feral species in several states.
Mute Swans are a wild native species in the United Kingdom, despite their somewhat domesticated status. Remains dating to 6,000 years before the present have been found in East Anglia.
Mute Swan in-flight over a lake
Mute Swans get their name from their quiet nature. They call less than other swans, although they are certainly not silent.
Mute Swans are invasive in the United States, where they are non-native. They are considered harmful to natural environments and a nuisance for people in many areas, and their population continues to grow.
Mute Swans can be kept as pets on private American properties with substantial ponds. However, owning such a large bird is a serious long-term commitment, and all steps should be taken to stay within the lawn and prevent these birds from escaping into wild waterways.
Keeping Mute Swans is illegal in some states, so check in with authorities before purchasing these birds. You may not keep a pet swan in the United Kingdom.
Mute Swans were brought to America from Europe. These undeniably beautiful waterfowl were introduced to ponds in parks and estates as an ornamental attraction, an activity still practiced today on private properties.
Mute Swans are large birds with a serious appetite. They are part of the natural ecosystem in the United Kingdom and Europe, but these newcomers cause damage in the United States. There they outcompete native waterfowl and alter small wetlands by overgrazing the aquatic vegetation and kicking up sediments in the water column.
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