Mute Swan

Identification

Adults are entirely white with a long neck usually held in a graceful S-curve, an orange bill topped by a black knob that is larger and more swollen in males, and black skin reaching forward to the eye. The tail is long and wedge-shaped and often held slightly raised. Juveniles are dingy grey-brown and are easily confused with other swans until they moult into white over their first winter.

Where water stays open these swans barely migrate. They feed mainly by upending in shallow water to reach submerged plants and algae, and they graze on bankside grass as well. The name is misleading: wings hum rhythmically in flight, and birds hiss, grunt and snort, especially around the nest. Breeding pairs hold large territories, and the male may chase intruders across the water in a dramatic busking display with the wings arched over his back.

They are resident on park lakes, slow rivers, canals and sheltered estuaries and are often the most conspicuous bird on the water. Winter is the best time to find gatherings of young non-breeders on estuaries and gravel pits. Keep a respectful distance in spring — nesting males are famously aggressive and will follow intruders right to the bank.