Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

The mute swan is a large, white type of waterfowl and a non-native, invasive species. Adults have:

• An orange bill with a black knob at the base.
• A long neck that is held in a graceful S-curve.
• Black to grayish-pink legs and feet.

Mute swans grow to about 60 inches with a wingspan of 70 to 90 inches.

Where does the mute swan live?

Mute swans can be found year-round in ponds, marshes, lagoons and other shallow waters throughout the Bay region. In the winter, when shallow areas freeze over, they move to deeper waters.

What does the mute swan eat?

Mute swans eat bay grasses like widgeon grass and sago pondweed. They feed by “tipping up,” or immersing their head and neck underwater to reach grasses at bottom. They will also eat winter wheat and other grains on farm fields.

What does the mute swan sound like?

Despite their name, mute swans make a soft gabbling or wheezing sound, and will hiss if they feel threatened. In flight, their wingbeats make a whooshing sound.

Where does the mute swan nest and breed?

Mute swans begin breeding by their third spring, and pairs generally remain together until one dies.

• The female builds a large nest of down and marsh grasses close to the water. In it, she lays four to 10 light gray or bluish-green eggs. An average of six eggs hatch in about 35 days.
• During the time the female is incubating the eggs, the male mute swan is very aggressive and protective of the nest.
• Young mute swans, called cygnets, are brownish-gray and lack the black knob at the base of their bills. While they are still young, cygnets will ride on the female's back as she swims.
• Cygnets become all white in color by their second year.

Other facts about the mute swan:

• The mute swan is the largest bird found in the Bay region.
• The mute swan can be confused with the tundra swan. You can distinguish a mute swan by its orange bill, curved neck and larger size. Also, mute swans are found in the Bay region year-round, while tundra swans only visit from late autumn through early spring.
• Swans are strong flyers. They begin their flight by running several feet across the water, then slapping their wings on the surface before becoming airborne.