Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
Unlike many other waterfowl, Black Swans are known for long-term monogamous pair bonds, and some populations feature successful same-sex male pairings.
- Scientific name
- Cygnus atratus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Cygnus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Large brackish or freshwater lakes, rivers, and flooded pastures with ample aquatic vegetation.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, primarily consuming submerged and emergent aquatic plants, algae, and occasional grasses.
- Range
- Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania
- Size
- Wingspan of 1.6 to 2 meters; weight between 4 and 9 kilograms.
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, lead poisoning from discarded fishing weights, and predation of eggs by invasive species.
- Safe to approach?
- Generally harmless but highly defensive when nesting or with cygnets. Maintain a distance of at least 5 meters. If the swan hisses or flaps its wings, back away slowly. Bites can cause bruising; if bitten, wash the area with soap and water to prevent infection.
The black swan ( Cygnus atratus ) is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. A New Zealand subspecies was apparently hunted to extinction by Māori, but the species was reintroduced to New Zealand in the 1860s. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions. Black swans are large birds with mostly black plumage and red bills. They are monogamous breeders. Male...
Photo: Nils, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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