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Whooper Swan Cygnus Cygnus

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Whooper Swan

Appearance: - The Whooper Swan has a completely white plumage, the beak is yellow with a black tip, and the legs and feet are dark-grey to black. The male (Cob) is similar to the female (Pen) but is usually slightly larger. The Whooper Swan is similar to the Bewick's Swan but has more yellow on its beak and is a slightly larger bird.

Size: - Typical Adult is 149-160cm (55-63in).

Food: - Aquatic plants, sedges, pond-weed which they can reach with their long necks, and they will also graze on grass when out of water. They will also eat animal matter such as insect larvae, tadpoles, small fish, small frogs, worms, and molluscs.

Habitat/Range: - Wetlands, lakes, rivers, estuaries, marshes, floodplains, and pasture in Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Russia, and Siberia. Winters further south in western Europe including the UK, Mediterranean Sea, Black sea, Caspian Sea, China, Korea, and Japan.

Whooper Swan Map
Breeding Habitat/Resident,    Migration or Winter Area.



Breeding Season: - Late May in Iceland, or mid-June further north.

Eggs: - 5 to 6 (creamy-white colour).

Notes: - The Whooper Swan is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan. They are quite noisy birds with a deep honking call and despite their size are strong fliers.

Conservation status (IUCN 3.1):
  Least Concern.  

Classification: - Family: Anatidae,
Subfamily: Anserinae, Genus: Cygnus.


Wildfowl (Alphabetical order):
A-B    C-F    G-L    M-R    S-Z   





Photographs

Whooper Swan
Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus) -






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