Black Swan
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ID#5
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Classification:Aves Endangered Status: Low risk
Habitat: Tropical wet lands, Southern hemisphere, Marshes and ponds in summer, large lakes and a bay in winter. A Black Swan is a large waterbird, growing to 140 centimeter, that has black feathers and a bright red beak that might have a white ring around it. The immature swan is a grey-brown color with white tips. The Black Swan's neck is straight with a slight curve and is usually longer than the whole body. Black Swans eat algae and aquatic plants. When feeding they stick their head under the water so that only their bottom is visible. Black Swans communicate with a musical, bugle-like sound and whistles. Swans are very protective, they always keep their cygnets close to them, if they lose a baby they call out for them until the baby returns or they call back. The Black Swan makes builds a nest from mounds of grass and weeds, which they use year after year. Black swans mate for life. Both the male and female take care of the eggs, and the black swan switches off with each other. The Black Swan has lays one clutch of 3-9 eggs per year. They incubate the eggs for 35 to 45 days. If an egg rolls out of the nest, the swans retrieves it using their long necks. The baby swans are called cygnets, and they are ready to swim just a few days after hatching. While they are young and vulnerable they stay close to their mom for protection. If a cygnet does get lost or roams away from the mother, the mother calls out to them until they return or until they call back. The Black Swan is sexually mature when it is two years old. They usually mate for life, only looking for a new mate if their mate has been killed. Swans usually start to display the one they like and show off about it. Black Swans have feet that are really strong so when they are in the water they can swim up to 3 mile per hour to escape predators. They fly at 2 miles per hour. Swans have salt glands that get rid of the excess salt in their diet; it comes out of their nose liquefied. Another interesting fact is that because swans mate for life they are considered a symbol of love. |