Black-necked Swan - description, habitat

Swans stand out among all other representatives of the feathered family, and this is not surprising. Birds attract with their elegant appearance, calmness and sophistication in everything. Today we are considering one of the representatives, namely the black-necked swan.

Spread

Most often, such birds are found in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other parts of South America. Individuals live in the inner section belonging to the Neotropic region. They are also found in Patagonia. For wintering, these birds may not fly away if in their habitat the temperature regime does not fall below a certain point.

With regard to specific habitats, birds are found in shallow water, as well as near the Pacific coast. Individuals prefer marshlands, plains, lagoons, inland lakes, estuaries, etc. They are not indifferent to the vegetation of a floating species.

Description

1. The individuals of this breed group belong to the geese family. Birds grow up to 125 cm along the length of the hull. Moreover, their body weight is from 4 to 7 kg. Females are slightly less, their weight hardly reaches 4.5 kg. It is due to these characteristics of the birds that they are classified as bulky.
2. It is impossible not to affect the wingspan, since all birds in the study are evaluated by these indicators. So, for example, in females, wings have a wingspan of 40 cm, in males - 45 cm.
3. Since it was previously mentioned that swans have a characteristic feature, we will touch upon it. The birds have a black neck, the plumage of the rest of the body is snow-white and clean. The head is also black, the beak is bluish with a gray tint, stands out against the background of red skin under the eyes. It looks impressive overall.
4. It is thanks to this color variation that the black-necked swan stands out among other members of the family. In some cases, the neck and head may have blotches of a different color.
5. Behind the eyes there is a strip of whitish tone. She reaches the neck, her back. The wings of these birds are sharp, white. The legs are pinkish, short, look disproportionate due to a certain length and angle of inclination. These birds walk little, because these actions are given to them with difficulty.
6. Young animals do not yet have such a bright and characteristic plumage for adult individuals. Its feathers are brownish, after several molts and upon reaching puberty, young birds will achieve the desired characteristics. A whitish body and a characteristic dark neck gain after a year of life.

Breeding

1. The presented individuals belong to monogamous ones; they find a constant pair and give birth to offspring. If the half dies, then the second swan finds itself another companion. As for the mating season, it lasts from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
2. Males at this time are very aggressive. They attack the rivals, suppressing the desire to occupy the female. Then they return to their mate and begin a full-blown seduction operation. Males demonstrate plumage and habits.
3. When the pair is formed, the individuals begin their mating dance. First, they immerse their heads in the water, then stretch their necks and begin to spin in a dance. Then, after some time, they go to build a dwelling for future offspring, choosing dense vegetation near reservoirs.
4. The male collects material for the nest, and the female puts everything in place. The house is half submerged in water. As litter fluff is used. The future father carefully guards the eggs without leaving the nest.
5. Female incubation is carried out for 35 days. Each egg weighs about 200 grams. Young individuals begin to fly after 2.5 months, but do not depart far from their parents during the first 3 months.
6. When the young grows up, it remains to live in the family, occasionally flying away. By the age of three, a new couple is forming, which, by analogy with the previous one, builds a dwelling and continues the genus.
7. Newly-born parents ride their babies on their backs, but as a rule, this is done by the father of the family. The female is responsible for feeding and raising. She also needs to gain weight, which is gone during the period of the mission. The offspring are monitored, protecting it from predators.
8. These birds carefully protect the laid eggs or offspring born from predators. But swans are powerless against humans, usually when people appear, they quickly leave the nest and leave their eggs without covering them.

Characteristics

1. Black-necked swans belong to those individuals that reproduce regardless of the season. It should be noted separately that during the mating season such birds become territorial and a little aggressive. During this period, swans try to hide in dense vegetation and reeds.
2. During the breeding season, such individuals are often kept in pairs or small families. After nesting, they again regroup in large flocks, which number more than a thousand individuals. Such groups can constantly fly depending on the climate and the abundance of food. Often birds adhere to the southern regions.
3. The considered individuals most of the time are in the water. Due to the fact that their legs are placed in a special way, it is inconvenient for them to move on land. They move awkwardly and funnyly. Therefore, their paws are designed exclusively for swimming. If such birds notice the danger, they quickly fly away over long distances.
4. Often, in places where they met with danger, swans no longer return. The considered individuals belong to the fastest representatives of flyers among relatives. Such swans are capable of reaching speeds in flight of up to 85 km / h.

Nutrition

1. The diet of such birds often includes food of plant origin. They get food at the bottom of ponds. Such swans have a strong beak with denticles at the end. In addition, the tongue is a large number of spinous bristles. It is with the help of her that swans tear off the leaves of plants.
2. Among other things, the cloves that are located in the beak help individuals filter the small food that they get from the water surface.
3. Black swans can be attributed to vegetarians, often they feed on wild celery, rdest, yarrow and similar aquatic plants. In rare cases, the considered individuals can eat frog caviar, fish and small invertebrates.

Interesting Facts

1. As for the number of these birds, it is stable. The considered species is widespread in many countries of the world. In addition, swans have an extensive habitat. In aggregate, if we add up all the reasons, we can say that such birds are practically not endangered.
2. Despite all this, bird hunting continues. People shoot swans for the warm fluff. Such material is used in the manufacture of bed linen and winter clothes.

As the name implies, the swan has a distinctive feature in the form of a black neck. Such birds are found in artificially created reservoirs and gardens, since they can be looked at for a very long time.

Video: Black-necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus)