Swans have earned fame for their beauty and special stately grandeur. This small group of birds includes 7 species, sometimes the koskoroba, a waterfowl similar to a swan with a shortened neck, is considered a swans. Swans belong to the duck family, their closest relatives are geese and goose.
Coscoroba (Coscoroba coscoroba).
Swans are the largest of the waterfowl. Body length varies from 1.2 to 1.8 m, wingspan 2-2.4 m, weight from 5-6 to 8-12 kg. The constitution of these birds is dense, the wings are wide. Swans are characterized by a very long neck, carrying a medium-sized head. Each species has a special set of necks: some hold it straight upright, others bend in the shape of the letter S. Their beak is wide and flattened. The paws of the swans are short, with swimming membranes, because of this, the gait of the swan looks awkward. Like all waterfowl, the swan's paws are carried far back, which facilitates movement in the water. The tail is short, above the tail is the coccygeal gland. This gland secretes fat, with which the bird lubricates the plumage. This lubricant makes the plumage of the swan waterproof, which allows the bird to stay in the water for a long time without getting wet, and also improves thermoregulation. The plumage of swans is thick and lush due to the well-developed downy layer, the feathers themselves are very soft. The coloration of all swans is plain white, with the exception of the black swan. In this species of birds, white flight feathers of the wing stand out against a general black background; also, in a black-necked swan, a dark neck stands out against a white background. The paws of swans are black, the beak is black, yellow or red, in many species there is a knobby thickening at the base of the beak.
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor).
Swans are common in Eurasia, Northern and South America and Australia. These birds live along the banks of reservoirs, and can settle both on relatively small rivers and lakes, and on the banks of large reservoirs - in sea lagoons and estuaries. All types of swans can be conditionally divided into 2 groups: the northern species prefer to live in the temperate zone and are most often found in the tundra and northern forests, the southern species live on lakes and swamps in the tropical zone. Southern species are sedentary, while northern species are migratory. Eurasian species of swans winter in Central and South Asia (India, the Caspian Sea) and in the Mediterranean, American swans spend the winter on the California coast and in Florida.
Small or tundra swans (Cygnus bewickii) in the spring tundra.
Swans live in married couples. Each pair occupies a certain area and protects it from the invasion of neighbors and other birds, but where swans nest massively, the boundaries of their areas are erased, in this case the birds can locate their nests close to each other and are more tolerant of neighbors. The temperament of swans is calm and unfussy. Usually these birds swim slowly without raising their voices. Swans rarely cry, but their voice is very sonorous. This is reflected in the names of some species (whooper swan, trumpeter swan). But the most famous species - the mute swan - is practically voiceless, these swans do not know how to scream, they only hiss in case of a threat. Swans are not timid birds; in case of danger, they try to scare off the enemy by stretching their necks, flapping their wings and biting with their beaks. Do not underestimate such "peaceful" ways of fighting - a swan is a large and strong bird and with a blow of its wing is able to break a teenager's arm.
The swan thought that the gosling invaded its territory and grabbed the chick. The parent pair of gray geese managed to recapture their child.
The flight of swans is easy and free; during the flights, the swans create a wedge, at the head of which the strongest bird flies. The remaining members of the pack use the aerodynamic currents created by the leader and spend less energy. When the leader gets tired, another bird takes over. Due to the large body mass, it is difficult for swans to take off, they flap their wings for a long time and sort through their paws while gaining altitude. For the same reason, swans never land on the ground, but only on the water; during landing, they clumsily slow down with their paws on the water.
Flying swans.
Swans feed on seeds, buds and rhizomes of aquatic plants, small aquatic invertebrates and grass. They forage in the water by capsizing and plunging their necks deep into the water, or they graze on the shore. They don't know how to dive.
The mating season begins early in northern species - 1-2 weeks after arrival at the nesting sites (in March-April), reproduction of tropical species is timed to the rainy season. Swans do not have mating fights, but they defend their territory and their beloved girlfriend zealously: if a swan sees a potential rival, it swims across it and loudly flapping its wings pursues 10-20 m.
Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) chases away an opponent.
The mating itself is peaceful - the swans swim with slightly raised wings, nod their heads.
A pair of mute swans in display poses.
Swans are monogamous birds, they form permanent pairs and remain faithful to their companion all their lives. There is a belief that a widowed bird commits suicide by falling from a height to the ground. Of course, there is no scientific truth in this statement. Although the swans are faithful to each other, in the event of the death of a partner, a not too old bird can create a new pair. Nests of huge swans, from reed stalks and grass, they build a heap with a diameter of 2-3 m and a height of 0.6-0.8 m.
Black swan (Cygnus atratus) on the nest.
There are 3-7 eggs in the clutch, the female incubates, and the male guards the nest. Incubation lasts 33-40 days.
Eggs in swans are greenish-gray or light brown in color.
Interesting. that in all species of swans (both white and black), the chicks hatch covered with gray down.
Swan chicks.
Chicks are well developed and from the first days of life they accompany their parents and look for food along with adults.
From time to time, the chicks dry out, using ... the mother's back for rest.
After molting, the chicks are covered with feathers and begin to fly (for the most precocious small swan after 40 days).
This chick of the black-necked swan (Cygnus melanocoryphus) is already large, but still rides on its mother's back as a child's habit.
Although swans can withstand the attacks of small predators (raccoons, foxes and even coyotes), they also have many enemies. The above animals can ruin an unattended masonry or kill a chick, otters can threaten chicks in the water, and crocodiles can eat an adult bird. A considerable danger lurks in the air: swans are hunted by eagles, kites and other birds of prey.
On the one hand, people have always admired the beauty of swans, on the other hand, they hunted them. In the Middle Ages, the swan was considered the game of aristocrats, so they were mass-produced to be served at the table of the nobility. As a result, almost all species of swans have become rare. The mute swan, the most common in Europe, disappeared from most of its range at the beginning of the 20th century. Fortunately, swans are well tamed and get along well in captivity. Thanks to the breeding of birds in nurseries, it was possible to reacclimatize the mute swan in many parts of the range. Mute swans and black swans are among the most common decorative birds, they can often be seen on the ponds of city parks.
Swans are not only the most beautiful, but also amazing birds. They differ from many birds in their fidelity to their partner, and they are also the record holders of the animal world for the length of the neck. The species of swans differ not only in color and size, but also in anatomical features, namely, the number of cervical vertebrae.
What are swans
The breeds of swans that exist today are:
- Black Swan,
- Trumpeter,
- Small,
- black-necked swan,
- whooper,
- American,
- Shipun.
Most species are migratory, and only the black swan never leaves its territory. common feature of all species - an aquatic lifestyle, monogamy, territoriality and a fairly large size, a recognizable silhouette.
Black subspecies
Representatives of this species differ from their counterparts not only in the beautiful, rich black color of the feather, but also in that they have the longest neck. The length of the neck occupies more than half the length of the entire body, which is a record not only in the world of birds, but also in the world of animals.
There are thirty-one vertebrae in the black swan's neck (almost three and a half times more than most other birds), which is another record for the whole family and for the bird kingdom.
Black swans are found in nature only on the distant Australian continent and the islands of New Zealand. But in parks and reserves, these amazing birds can be seen all over the world. The birds are quite large - the body length of an adult bird can reach 145 cm. Most often, females are smaller than their partners. The average weight of an adult can reach up to nine kilograms, and the wingspan is more than two meters.
Swans are also distinguished by the fact that they lead a sedentary lifestyle. Migrations can be over short distances only if food resources have dried up. Birds can fly to a new reservoir, but no further than 100 - 150 km from the previous place of residence.
Black-necked subspecies
The black-necked swan has an interesting plumage coloration: the neck of the bird is richly black, while the rest of the body is dazzling white. There are twenty-five vertebrae in the feathered neck, it is quite long and very flexible, which allows the bird to get food from almost a meter deep. Also, the neck has a characteristic beautiful swan bend.
The black-necked swan is about 150 cm long, and the body weight of the bird is up to seven kilograms. In nature, life expectancy is no more than ten years, but at home they live up to 25-30 years, while retaining the ability to bear offspring.
The black-necked swan lives in the south of the South American continent from Chile to the Falkland Islands. The black-necked swan is a migratory species. Couples wait out the winter in warmer Paraguay and Brazil. Pairs settle near shallow lakes, closed sea bays and lagoons.
A distinctive feature of the species is the neck, curved in the shape of the letter "S".
There are also twenty-five vertebrae in the mute's neck, interconnected by strong and mobile ligaments, which allow the neck to rotate almost 360 degrees. Birds use their necks to reach for food from more than a meter deep.
One of the largest representatives of its kind. The description of the breed often says that the weight of adult males can reach 15-17 kg or more when kept at home. The wingspan is about 250 cm, and the average body length is 170 cm.
This waterfowl lives in the polar latitudes of Asia and Europe. At the beginning of the 20th century, birds were brought to the south of the African continent, to Australia and to the North American continent. Some populations have successfully adapted to new habitats.
Mute mute couples in the third or fourth year of life and remain faithful until the end of their days.
During the breeding season, males become very aggressive and can attack not only representatives of their own species, but also other birds, small mammals, and even humans.
Whooper
Distinguish this species from others it is very simple - he has a bright lemon-colored beak and a straight, without bends, neck. Relative to the body, the bird's neck looks disproportionately short. The articulations between the cervical vertebrae, of which there are twenty-two, are not so mobile. This is another large representative of its kind. The average weight of an adult whooper is about 10-12 kg. The whooper is usually no more than 170 cm long, and the wingspan in flight exceeds two meters.
Whoopers are distributed throughout the north of Eurasia, from Scandinavia to Sakhalin. Flight view. Only small populations of the whooper living in the UK and the Baltic countries remain for the winter in their nesting areas. The rest of the birds spend the winter on the shores of the Mediterranean and Caspian Seas, as well as in Asia. Whoopers return to their breeding grounds in early March.
Trumpeter
The neck of the trumpeter consists of twenty-five vertebrae, is flexible, and allows the bird to get food from the bottom. In length, in relation to the body, the neck occupies a little less than half. But it is without the characteristic swan bend. During feeding, the trumpeter plunges his neck into the water and becomes almost vertical to the surface of the reservoir.
The description of the whooper and the trumpeter are very similar. The main difference is the color of the beak. The beak of the trumpeter is completely black.
The body of an adult trumpeter often reaches 180 cm in length. In flight, the wingspan exceeds two meters. The mass of an adult trumpeter is 10-12 kg. The trumpeter lives in the tundra part of the North American continent.
The diet of the trumpeter consists of aquatic plants, in winter months they feast on grass and various cereal crops, they can pick berries from bushes and catch small fish. Young growth actively eats snails and various insects with larvae.
The breeding season for trumpeters begins in mid-April. Most often, within a few years, pairs return to the same nest, only repairing it. The female lays one egg a day, and the clutch is usually seven to nine eggs. The chicks hatch in thirty days. After a few hours, having dried, they leave the nest with their parents, and spend all the time on the water.
American swan
The external description is similar to the whooper, but differs in a shorter neck, a rounded head and a black and yellow beak. Birds have a beautiful long neck, with a slight bend. When swimming, the neck seems more straight. It consists of twenty-five vertebrae, and helps the bird to get food from a depth of 70 cm or more. One of the smallest representatives of the species. In length, the body of an adult swan rarely exceeds 145 cm, and the body weight is usually no more than ten kg.
The bird lives in the tundra part of the North American continent. Very rarely, individual populations arrive for nesting on Anadyr and nearby islands. The bird is cautious - it prefers to settle in deaf and hard-to-reach places. For the winter, it flies to the warmer Pacific or Atlantic coast.
The American swan feeds on various aquatic plants, grass, small crustaceans and invertebrates. Returns to nesting sites in March-April. A clutch usually has no more than eight eggs. The female is more engaged in incubation - the male can sometimes change his partner.
Tundra small subspecies
Representatives of the tundra subspecies have the shortest neck in the family. It consists of twenty-two vertebrae, slightly curved, but seems more straight and stocky. Swans also differ in that they do not use their neck to get food. Instead, they have learned to dive well for food.
In length, the body of a bird rarely exceeds 140 cm, with a weight of only five kilograms. The wingspan in flight is usually no more than two meters.
What other features does the small swan have:
- endemic,
- Each individual has an individual pattern on the beak,
- The beak is yellow-black, with a predominance of black.
This beautiful white swan pairs up in two to three years. Swans return to nesting sites in spring. The tundra swan differs from other species in the fact that mating dances take place on land, and not in water. The male describes circles around the female, raising and lowering his head, stretching his neck and spreading his wings.
Only the female builds or repairs the nest. AT good summer clutch consists of three to five large eggs. And in the cold - a couple may refuse to breed. Both partners incubate the offspring, and the babies are born in thirty-two days.
The black swan is considered such a bird. If we compare its neck with the necks of other swans, then this part of the body will be much longer due to its 31 vertebrae (ordinary swans have 30). Nature came up with such an addition for a reason - after all, this type of swans feeds on fish and has to dive to the depths. Therefore, the correct answer to the question "Which swan has the longest neck?" there will be a black swan.
What is the swan with the longest neck
This bird is considered one of the rarest. It first appeared in Australia, then came to New Zealand and then took root in North and South America. Today, black swans can be seen in various zoos around the world, as they perfectly adapt to any climatic conditions.
The black swan is a rather large bird. Its average weight can reach up to 10 kilograms with a growth of a meter or a half. Moreover, this swan has the longest neck of its relatives. If you look at this bird in flight next to other brethren, it will immediately become clear whose neck is longer: it is in the black swan that it reaches half the length of the entire bird. Therefore, it stands out in the sky when it flies over cities.
It was the black swan that gave rise to many rumors and superstitions. In England, this bird is still considered a symbol of misfortune and approaching trouble. It was especially bad for an unmarried girl to see her on her own wedding day or a few days after her - since swans are considered symbols of fidelity, seeing a black swan meant misfortune or imminent widowhood. Therefore, these birds were destroyed in the old days so that they would not predict trouble for anyone. It is for this reason that the black swan has become a rarity. Today it is listed in the Red Book and requires special protection. In some countries it is forbidden to hunt the black swan, and you can get a heavy fine for killing this bird.
This question is often asked by students on various forums on the Internet. Someone thinks that this is a mute swan or a trumpeter swan. But in fact, the answer to the question "Which swan has the longest neck?" simple - in black. But not with a bird from the film of the same name or a song by Boris Moiseev, but with a rare and very beautiful swan with expressive amber, brown or orange eyes.
Interestingly, black swans can talk. True, in his "swan" language. They make various sounds and even "hello" with each other, slightly lowering their heads. Sometimes guttural sounds resemble a trumpet when birds get angry or call their relatives.
Like other swans, they are characterized by constancy. In the hot Australian climate - the birthplace of black swans - these birds begin to breed during the rainy season at the age of about 2 years and older. It is interesting that individuals that were born and raised in the European climate begin to breed in winter and remain faithful to one partner throughout their lives.
In addition, black swans do not like to change their habitat. Is not migratory birds. Swans can leave their habitual place, to which they are accustomed, only for a good reason: a fire, a natural disaster. But even in such a situation, they settle near the old place, and it is very difficult to survive them from there. Shallow rivers and reservoirs become the main preference.
Usually such birds gather in colonies and nest near rivers and lakes. Often they create one large nest, which can contain from 500 to 1000 individuals. The nest exists for about 2 years, and the birds repair it in every possible way and try to keep it as long as possible. However, even in such conditions, sexually mature birds live in pairs until the end of their days.
When it's time for mating, the bird changes its behavior. The male begins to flirt with the female, showing a wonderful courtship dance, after which pairs are formed for the entire swan's life. Even being in a common nest, they choose separate corners for themselves and live together there and breed. Usually in one nest there are from 3 to 10 eggs of an unpleasant green color with a rather pungent odor. The mother and father take turns incubating the chicks, periodically turning the eggs over. At the same time, the swan, which was left without a mate, never abandons its chicks and begins to raise them itself. Usually eggs remain unchanged for 6 months, and only then do babies appear. In one year, 2 broods of offspring are possible. When the chicks grow up a little, they begin to swim, but they learn to fly much later. Often, adult swans roll their chicks on their backs across the pond. The sight is very rare, beautiful and touching.
Well, growing up and reaching puberty, young males become quite aggressive, especially in captivity, and do not allow other males to approach them.
Here is which swan has the longest neck and how it lives in various conditions, the duration of which is approximately 10 years.
Why does a swan have a long neck?Why does a swan have such a long neck? This question arises every time you meet these graceful birds. Perhaps the answer lies in unique footage, captured by Russian photographer Viktor Lyagushkin in the clear waters of Blue Lake in southern Russia.
A group of five swans was doing their usual thing - lowering their long necks under the water, they collected juicy river grass from the bottom of the lake. This behavior clearly proves how well swans are adapted to life near water bodies. Before lowering its head under the water, the bird carefully looks around, and then stretches its neck, pushes off the surface of the water with its strong webbed feet and takes out grass.
“Swans can’t dive like ducks, for example, so they use their long necks to get food from the bottom of the lake,” says the photographer. They spend the whole winter here because the lake never freezes. Many different algae grow here - a favorite delicacy of swans, and here they feel safe.
Blue Lake is the third largest karst lake in the world. Its crystal clear water is not polluted by external tributaries, but is fed by underground springs through an extensive system of karst caves. This place is a paradise for swans.
http://www.zoopicture.ru
Why does a swan have such a long neck? This question arises every time you meet these graceful birds. Perhaps the answer lies in the unique footage captured by Russian photographer Viktor Lyagushkin in the clear waters of Blue Lake in southern Russia.
A group of five swans was doing their usual thing - lowering their long necks under the water, they collected juicy river grass from the bottom of the lake. This behavior clearly proves how well swans are adapted to life near water bodies. Before lowering its head under the water, the bird carefully looks around, and then stretches its neck, pushes off the surface of the water with its strong webbed feet and takes out grass.
“Swans can’t dive like ducks, for example, so they use their long necks to get food from the bottom of the lake,” says the photographer. They spend the whole winter here because the lake never freezes. Many different algae grow here - a favorite delicacy of swans, and here they feel safe.
Blue Lake is the third largest karst lake in the world. Its crystal clear water is not polluted by external tributaries, but is fed by underground springs through an extensive system of karst caves. This place is a paradise for swans.
Despite their graceful appearance, swans are large and strong birds, with a wingspan of about two meters and a weight of more than twelve kilograms. To take these shots, Victor literally had to tame swans for a week, as well as use special equipment for underwater photography.
