The mute swan is a familiar sight on many of the rivers, lakes and ponds of Britain and are very protective parents and mate for life some birds stay in their territories all year, while others move short distances and form winter flocks. In cold weather, some birds arrive from Europe into eastern England.

Description

Mute swans are all white, with an orange bill which has a black patch and a black knob at the base and are one of the heaviest flying birds, with males (known as cobs) averaging about 12 kilograms (26 lb) and females (known as pens) more than 15 kilograms (33 lb).. Its size, orange-reddish bill and white plumage make this swan almost unmistakable at close quarters. The most similar species is the Whooper Swan, but it has a yellow and black bill, lacks the curved neck, is longer and heavier, and lacks the characteristic projection above the bill.

Nesting

Nest building starts in March and the nest is approximately 200cm across and about 80cms deep, usually constructed from dry reeds. The female swan which are also called a pen lays between 5 and 12 eggs, and the pair take turns incubating them and fending off anyone or anything which comes near the nest hissing to scare off any threats. The eggs hatch after 35 days the young are called cygnets, are not the bright white of mature adults, and their bill is dull greyish-black, not orange, for the first year. The down may range from pure white to grey to buff, with grey/buff the most common. The white cygnets have a leucistic gene. All Mute Swans are white at maturity, though the feathers (particularly on the head and neck) are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water. After about 2 months the cygnets start to look scruffy as they still have their soft downy feathers, but their new plumage starts to grow through in late summer. After 4 months they can fly but keep there grey feathers until at the age of two or three they will become sexually mature, and start looking for a mate of their own mute swans have been known to live for up to 40 years.

Feeding

Mute swans feed on a wide range of vegetation, both submerged aquatic plants which they reach with their long necks, and by grazing on land. The food commonly includes agricultural crop plants such as oilseed rape and wheat, and feeding flocks in the winter may cause significant crop damage with their large webbed feet, as through direct consumption.