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Mute Swan

© Fred Kane

MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)

OTHER NAMES: Common Swan, Domestic Swan (in England); Wild Swan, also Tame Swan because of acclimatization to the company of people. Some swans eat bread right out of our hands.

The Mute Swan, is a huge all white Eurasian "pond" swan, almost tame and is now naturally unrestrained in the Eastern United States. In 1972 a count showed 2,000 birds along the Atlantic coast and almost 4000 in Michigan. The Mute Swan got into the U.S., possibly in mid 1800's. Some people conclude that the Mute Swan may have first been brought onto the big homes of Eastern Long Island and the Lower Hudson River Valley.

One time while fishing I saw a pair of Mute Swans. A few days later I saw one of the swans died. A few minutes later a man and girl on SEA- DO came motoring by. The live bird attacked the SEA- DO and hit the girl so hard she fell into the water. Then the swan attacked the man on the SEA- Do. I found out later that a SEA-DO had killed the live bird's mate. From this occurance I believe mute swans have a memory.

DESCRIPTION: The male and female are externally similar but the males are larger. You will note the extent of their difference when the birds are out of the water. The adult Mute Swan is about five feet long, with a wingspan of 8-9 feet, weighs up to 50 pounds and in flight reaches a speed of 50-55 m.p.h.

You distinguish them from native North American swans like the Trumpeter Swan and Whistling Swan, by their orange tinted bill, black at the base, with a outstanding black knob on their forehead. When swimming, the Mute Swan carries its neck in a smooth and elegant "S" curve with its bill pointing downward. The Trumpeter and Whistling Swans usually carry their bill even with their neck vertical. The male mute swan often curves his secondary wing feathers over his back in an hostile position.

Some Mute Swans enjoy life for 30 to 40 years in captivity. The greatest ages for wild mute swans were three tagged in Switzerland that were 18 and 19 years old when recovered.

RANGE: They nest in British Isles, north to central Europe and North to central Asia. The mute swan winters south to Northern Africa, Near East, Northwest India and Korea. In the United States swans roam along the Atlantic coast from Eastern Massachusetts south to Central New Jersey and into the Great Lakes Region of New York State.

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