Cygnus cygnus
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Mass
~9 kg
Habitat
Wetlands and marshes
Diet
Aquatic plants
How to recognize it
The whooper swan has a calm, steady look on the water and a long, upright neck that gives it a clean, streamlined outline. Adults are white, while younger ones are noticeably greyer and darker on the head.
It usually moves at an easy pace, but if disturbed it prefers open water and takes off with a long, splashing run. Its voice is loud and trumpet-like, and it carries well in flight and during courtship displays.
It needs large bodies of water, often with thick shoreline vegetation and some distance from people. It feeds mainly on aquatic plants, and in winter and on migration it stays where the water does not freeze completely.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The whooper swan has a calm, steady look on the water and a long, upright neck that gives it a clean, streamlined outline. Adults are white, while younger ones are noticeably greyer and darker on the head.
It usually moves at an easy pace, but if disturbed it prefers open water and takes off with a long, splashing run. Its voice is loud and trumpet-like, and it carries well in flight and during courtship displays.
It needs large bodies of water, often with thick shoreline vegetation and some distance from people. It feeds mainly on aquatic plants, and in winter and on migration it stays where the water does not freeze completely.
