Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Whooper Swan
Link copied.
Cygnus cygnus
Link copied.
Voice
Call
Call
Alarm
How to recognize it
-
140–165 cm long
-
White plumage; long neck held upright while swimming
-
Lemon-yellow bill with a black tip
-
Loud, trumpet-like "gang-go" call, especially frequent in flight
About the species
An adult Whooper Swan is white from head to tail, with a long neck held upright and a bill that is yellow at the base and black at the tip. Its head has an angular outline, and the yellow on the bill covers more area than the black. Young swans are smoky gray, with darker heads, and gradually turn white by their third year.
On the water, it keeps its neck upright and its wings close to its body; to take off, it runs across the surface, pattering with its feet as it gathers speed. Its deep, loud calls come in repeated “gang-go” phrases, especially in flight. Pairs stay together through winter, sometimes with young from earlier years still in the family group.
It breeds around wetlands and large lakes across northern Eurasia, where there is room to swim and feed. In winter, many travel south to Europe or Asia, sometimes covering hundreds or thousands of miles. Their diet is mainly aquatic plants, with small invertebrates also on the menu.
Did you know?
-
Sense the drift and steer back
Radio-tracked Whooper Swans drifted off course by crosswinds detect the displacement and re-steer themselves back onto their normal migration route.
Link copied.
-
Iceland west, Eurasia east
The Icelandic and Eurasian Whooper Swan populations wintering in Britain stay almost completely separate — Iceland birds in the west, Eurasian birds in the east, with no real overlap.
Link copied.
-
Paddles feet to stir up the bottom
Whooper Swans graze underwater by neck-dipping and up-ending — and unlike the other swans, they frequently paddle their feet at the same time to stir up vegetation.
Link copied.
Where to find
-
On a broad stretch of water, look for the whooper swan swimming slowly with its neck upright as it feeds on aquatic plants.
-
During the breeding season, at quiet, large wooded lakes away from people, look for a nest in waterside reeds and a male standing guard nearby.
-
In winter, on unfrozen waters in Eurasia, look for pairs staying together on the water.
