Australian Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
Irresistible!
Photo courtesy of Patricia A. Sheley
These swans are native to most of Australia, including Tasmania. Introduced populations are thriving in New Zealand and there are some free-living birds in Sweden.
The Blacks are the most social of the swans and during the breeding season will often nest in loose colonies. Most other swans will not tolerate other pairs anywhere near their nests.
Their greyish-black plumage is interrupted only by the white flight feathers. The parents often carry the young cygnets on their backs when they are swimming.
Black Swan Links:
Black Swans at Harteman Wildfowl
And here's the Silver mutation at Bantam Pond
Black Swans at Roman's Acres
"Degas," a Black Swan, looking gorgeous
Photo courtesy of Patricia A. Sheley
"Hoot Lips," the Black Swan I just got for my new
pond
Photo ©Frank Quinn
And here are the "lips" she hoots through!
Photo ©Frank Quinn
"Wally," the male I got to pair with "HootLips"
4/16/97--4/13/02
Photo courtesy of Virginia Martin
And here's "Wally" on vacation on the Yellow River in
China
Oh, OK, that's just the constantly stirred up clay in my new pond
Photo courtesy of Virginia Martin
Here's a Black Swan on more typical-looking water
Photo courtesy of Julie Hendricks
This is "Vincent Van Swan" on his "pond"
Photo courtesy of Devorah Feldman
"Hoot Lips," again, showing off her body shape
Photo ©Frank Quinn
And here she is in a bird's eye view
Photo courtesy of Stefan
That's "Wally" close up, and "HootLips" beyond
Photo courtesy of Virginia Martin
Juvenile Black Swans
Photos courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
A pair of Black Swans
Photo courtesy of Cilla Taylor
"Wally" and "HootLips" with their one offspring from 1999;
that's Junior on the right
Photo courtesy of Sharon Alworth
Hoot showing off her ruffles
Photos courtesy of Bojan Petek
"Hoot" with her 2003 adopted family: 2 Dewlap Toulouse Geese and 2 Brown China Geese
The next generation -- in 2004 she raised the two Embdens in
the picture and her Brown China "daughter" from last year raised 3 ducklings
And here's a movie of the family
Photo and film courtesy of Stefan
This is one of Hoot's eggs, with a duck egg for
comparison
Photo courtesy of Stefan
Cygnets and Mallard ducklings
Photo courtesy of Patricia A. Sheley
Two-week-old Black Swan cygnets
Photo courtesy of Heather Langdon
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Direct questions and comments to Barry at FeatherSite -- questions and comments
