Swan

Swan facts at a glance

How big is a swan?

An adult swan measures 1.5 m long — about 87% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 12 kg, about 17% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of swans called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Appearance and size

The mute swan is unmistakable, with pure white plumage, a long S-curved neck, and an orange bill topped by a black fleshy knob that is larger in males. It is among the heaviest of all flying birds, with adults weighing 10 to 12 kg (22 to 26 lb) and spanning 2 to 2.4 m (6.5 to 8 ft) across the wings. Young birds, called cygnets, are greyish-brown and gradually turn white over their first year. Despite their bulk, adults are strong fliers once airborne.

Flight and movement

Getting a bird this heavy into the air takes effort, so swans run and beat their wings across the water surface for a long stretch before lifting off. Once airborne they are surprisingly fast, reaching speeds of around 80 km/h, with slow, powerful wingbeats that produce a distinctive throbbing sound audible from a distance. On water they swim smoothly and can up-end to feed, while on land they walk with an ungainly waddle. Their large webbed feet make them at home on lakes, rivers, and coastal estuaries.

Diet and feeding

Swans are herbivores that feed mainly on aquatic vegetation, reaching down with their long necks to graze plants on the bottom of shallow water. They also eat grasses on land and will take grain and other plant matter, and in many parks they readily accept bread, though it is poor nutrition for them. The long neck lets them reach food up to about a metre below the surface without diving. Cygnets feed on the small invertebrates stirred up by the adults as well as on plants.

Breeding and family life

Mute swans form strong, long-lasting pair bonds and often stay with the same mate for many years. The pair builds a large mound of vegetation near water, where the female lays a clutch of eggs that both parents guard fiercely. Cygnets hatch able to swim and follow their parents closely, sometimes riding on an adult's back among the feathers for warmth and safety. The family stays together through the first winter before the young disperse to find territories of their own.

Behaviour and temperament

Swans are highly territorial during the breeding season and will drive off intruders, including other swans and sometimes people who venture too close to a nest. A threatening bird raises its wings over its back in a display called busking and can deliver forceful blows with its wings and bill. Outside the breeding season they are more social and may gather in large flocks on open water. Their reputation for aggression is real but seasonal, tied mainly to protecting eggs and cygnets.

Range and status

The mute swan is native across much of Europe and temperate Asia and has been introduced to North America and elsewhere, where it is now widespread. It thrives on lakes, slow rivers, ponds, and sheltered coasts, and adapts well to parks and other human-modified waters. Populations are generally healthy, and the IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. Individuals commonly live about 10 years in the wild, with some reaching 20 years or more.

Did you know? Swan facts

• The mute swan is a large, elegant white waterbird with an orange bill and a black knob at its base, and one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
• A group of swans is called a bevy or a herd, and in flight they are called a wedge. A baby swan is called a cygnet.
• Mute swans usually form long-lasting pair bonds that often last for life, raising cygnets together each year. Occasionally a pair will separate, especially after repeated nesting failures.
• This is largely a myth. A swan defending its nest can strike hard with its wings and is best avoided, but it is very unlikely to break a healthy adult's bone.
• Swans are mainly herbivores, eating aquatic plants reached with their long necks, along with grass, waterside vegetation, and grain. They occasionally take small water creatures while feeding.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Swan feeds primarily as a herbivore (aquatic plants, grasses, grain). Swans are mainly herbivores, feeding on aquatic plants reached by dipping their long necks underwater or upending in the shallows. They also graze on grass and waterside plants and will take grain and some small water creatures. Their long necks let

Adaptations

• Mute swans are famous for forming strong pair bonds that often last for life, and a pair will defend their nest and young together. They build a large mound of vegetation at the water's edge, and both parents care for the grey, fluffy cygnets, which often ride on a parent's back in their first weeks. The image of two swans facing each other with necks curved into a heart is part of their romantic reputation.
• Swans are mainly herbivores, feeding on aquatic plants reached by dipping their long necks underwater or upending in the shallows. They also graze on grass and waterside plants and will take grain and some small water creatures. Their long necks let them feed on vegetation deeper than most other waterfowl can reach.

Behaviour & ecology

• Mute swans are famous for forming strong pair bonds that often last for life, and a pair will defend their nest and young together. They build a large mound of vegetation at the water's edge, and both parents care for the grey, fluffy cygnets, which often ride on a parent's back in their first weeks. The image of two swans facing each other with necks curved into a heart is part of their romantic reputation.
• Swans are mainly herbivores, feeding on aquatic plants reached by dipping their long necks underwater or upending in the shallows. They also graze on grass and waterside plants and will take grain and some small water creatures. Their long necks let them feed on vegetation deeper than most other waterfowl can reach.
• Despite their serene appearance, swans are powerful and can be aggressive when defending a nest or cygnets, hissing and beating their large wings. While stories of a swan breaking a person's arm are exaggerated, a defensive swan can deliver a forceful blow and should be given space, especially during the breeding season.

Communication

• Swan uses calls and visual displays to communicate territory, alarm, and breeding status.
• Vocal repertoires vary by species and are often learned or refined during development.

Habitat & range

Lakes, rivers, ponds, estuaries

Ecological role

Swan shapes vegetation through grazing or browsing and serves as prey for larger predators where ranges overlap.

Conservation status of the Swan

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Swan:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Cygnus olor.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Cygnus olor. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Cygnus olor. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• eBird — bird observations

  Cornell Lab eBird target search for Swan. Check recent checklists and seasonal abundance where birders report this species.

• IUCN Red List — Cygnus olor.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Cygnus olor. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Swan.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.