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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
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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:
Regional Trends:
Distribution:
New Atlas )
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
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:
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
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