Wildlifeof China
Black Swan
Ducks, Geese & Grebes
Photo: Peter T. Rühr · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Cygnus atratus
Basic stats
Diet
Aquatic vegetation, algae, pasture plants, and occasional insects
Habitat
Freshwater, saltwater, and brackish lakes, rivers, swamps, flooded fields, and pastures
Range
Native to Australia and Tasmania; introduced elsewhere
Clutch size
5–6 eggs
Incubation period
35–48 days
Size
1.1–1.4 m
Wingspan
160–200 cm
Weight
3.7–8.7 kg
Black swans are native to Australia, including Tasmania, and are concentrated particularly in southern Australian wetlands. Introduced populations occur in New Zealand, Europe, and North America. They inhabit lakes, rivers, and swamps containing fresh, brackish, or salt water and favor places with abundant aquatic vegetation. When aquatic food becomes limited, birds may move onto dry pasture or flooded farmland. Adults measure approximately 1.1 to 1.4 meters long, have wingspans of 160 to 200 centimeters, and weigh about 3.7 to 8.7 kilograms. (Animal Diversity Web)
These swans are chiefly herbivorous, reaching submerged foliage with their long necks and also grazing on land. Their foods include cattails, pondweeds, water milfoils, widgeon grasses, algae, and other vegetation, with insects consumed occasionally. Black swans maintain strong pair bonds, and both adults participate in nesting and cygnet care. They can breed repeatedly during a long season extending from February through September. Females lay five or six eggs, and incubation lasts approximately 35 to 48 days before the precocial cygnets emerge. (Animal Diversity Web)
Quick answers
- What does the Black Swan eat?
- Aquatic vegetation, algae, pasture plants, and occasional insects
- What habitat does the Black Swan live in?
- Freshwater, saltwater, and brackish lakes, rivers, swamps, flooded fields, and pastures
- Where is the Black Swan found?
- Native to Australia and Tasmania; introduced elsewhere
- How many eggs does the Black Swan lay?
- 5–6 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Black Swan incubated?
- 35–48 days
- How big is the Black Swan?
- 1.1–1.4 m
- What is the wingspan of the Black Swan?
- 160–200 cm
- How much does the Black Swan weigh?
- 3.7–8.7 kg