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Mute Swan Cygnus olor [JF Gmelin, 1789]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
BTO Codes:
MS , MUTSW
EURING No:
1520
Number in Britain:
5300 pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
AMBER
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
View video clips from
IBC
Status in UK:
(AC2) Resident Breeder
Subspecies:
Monotypic
.
Length:
152 cm
Wingspan:
223 cm
Weight:
M: 11.5 kg F: 9 kg
Scientific name from:
L.: cygnus =the swan (from Gr.: kuknos )
and L.: olor =swan
World Distribution:
BREEDS: n&c Europe & Asia, WINTERS: south to n Africa, India & se China
Habitat:
Lakes, ponds & rivers
Diet:
Aquatic vegetation (to 1m deep), also grazes on land; occasionally takes insects, molluscs, small amphibians
TitBit:
In England, swans are marked annually (Swan-Upping) for the Queen and others, originally for the table, but in Scotland & Ireland killing them was unlucky as they were thought to embody human souls
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends:
England  
English Regions
Distribution:
Atlas Maps
(Help with the New Atlas )
BBS Maps
British Population Size:
Summer:
5299 pairs
in 1990
Winter:
38 thousand individuals
in 1994-99
 
First Record:
8th Century
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Most frequent in:
Along Rivers
Also common in:
Lakes
And found in:
Estuaries, Ponds
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
Summer:
71 to 100 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:
BirdTrack
Wetland Bird Survey Alerts
Waterbird Review Series
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
113 x 74 mm
Egg Weight:
340.0 g (of which 11 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
193
Clutch Size:
4 - 7 eggs
5.58 ± 1.84 (2 - 12) N = 686
Incubation:
34 - 45 days
38.62 ± 5.01 (32 - 45) N = 686
by the:
Female (occ. Male)
Fledging:
120 - 150 days
as:
Precocial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid:
18 Apr (10 Mar - 23 May)
Number of Broods:
1
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
3597
Adult Survival:
0.85
Juvenile Survival:
0.42 (to age 3 )
Age at First Breeding:
4
years
Typical Lifespan:
10
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
26yr9m
(Germany: 28yr 7m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
M*
Wing Length
Sexually dimorphic (male much larger than female)
Male:
618.4 ± 18.7
595 - 650 mm, N =81
Female:
571.4 ± 22.6
530 - 610 mm, N =68
Weight
Sexually dimorphic (male much larger than female)
Male:
10.75 ± 1.56
8.20 - 13.40 kg , N =314
Female:
8.54 ± 1.23 .
6.30 - 10.50 kg , N =233
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Gaelic:
Eala
Welsh:
Alarch Dôf
Danish:
Knopsvane
Dutch:
Knobbelzwaan
Finnish:
Kyhmyjoutsen
French:
Cygne taberculé
German:
Höckerschwan
Hungarian:
Bütykös hattyú
Icelandic:
Hnúðsvanur
Irish:
Eala Bhalbh
Italian:
Cigno reale
Norwegian:
Knoppsvane
Polish:
Labedz niemy
Portuguese:
Cisne-vulgar
Spanish:
Cisne real
Swedish:
Knölsvan
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Birkhead, M. 1986 The mute swan Croom Helm Ltd, London
[598.484 BIR]
Kear, J 2005 Ducks, geese and swans Oxford University Press
[598.48 KEA]
Ticehurst, N.F. 1957 The Mute Swan in England Cleaver Hume, London
[598.484 TIC]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus
BirdFacts home | BTO Home Email: birdfacts@bto.org These data should be cited as: Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)
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