The Coscorba Swan

The Coscoroba Swan, Coscoroba coscoroba, is one of the species of swans native to South America, alongside the Black-necked Swan. Known as the smallest of the swans, there is some debate about whether the Coscoroba Swan should be classed alongside other swans, or as a separate species.

The Coscoroba Swan is primarily known for its diminutive size, especially compared to other swans. A male Coscoroba on average measures 1m long, with a wingspan of just over 1.5m, in terms of waterfowl this still makes it a large bird, but could be the half the size of a large Trumpeter Swan.

Coscoroba Swan - Dick Daniels - CC-BY-SA-3.0

Weight wise as well the Coscoroba Swan is small in comparison, and an average male will weigh only a little bit over 4kg. As a general rule, female Coscoroba measure in at about 80% of their male counterparts.

It is often argued that the Coscoroba Swan looks more like a goose than it does a swan, although of course like other swans it is predominantly white. The white plumage though is contrasted by black flight feathers on the tips of the wings, although these black tips are only visible when the bird is in flight or putting on a show.

There is also a splattering of red on the swan, with the beak, legs and feet coloured. It is though the face of the Coscoroba Swan that sets it apart from other swans. The other species of swans have a face that is bereft of feathers, whilst the region between bill and eye on the Coscoroba is covered in white feathers,

In the wild there is thought to be an estimated 25000 Coscoroba Swans, although as with other swans estimates do go to the high and low of extremes. Traditionally found in its breeding grounds across Patagonia, the southern extremes of Chile and Argentina, and the Falkland Islands, the Coscoroba Swans shares many of the same habitats as the Black-necked Swan. The Coscoroba Swan will migrate further north during the winter, making a home in Paraguay and the southern states of Brazil.
Coscoroba Swans were named by the indigenous population of the southern reaches of South America after the sound of their call, cos-co-ro-oa.

In both the breeding and wintering grounds the Coscoroba Swan looks for similar habitat, and is especially partial to wetland areas. In particular the swans can normally be found near to fresh water in the form of lakes, marshes and slow moving rivers. The swans also like a well vegetated area for both food and protection.

Coscoroba Coscoroba - Patche99z - CC-BY-SA-3.0

The diet of the Coscoroba Swan is primarily based upon the plant life to be found near or in the water, but will often supplement this source of food with fish and any shellfish found in its locality.
Breeding for the Coscoroba starts with a brief courtship and a short dance, before a pair generally mates for life. In most cases a female swan will lay one clutch of eggs, with normally 6 eggs in the clutch. The incubation of the eggs is solely down to the female swan for the incubation period of between four and five weeks, although the male will act as protector for that period of time. The role of protector continues after hatching as well, and in the early days the father will never be far away from his offspring.

The locality of the nest is important in the early days after hatching, and long vegetation will offer some degree of protection for the cygnets. New born Coscoroba Swans will quickly be able to feed themselves and swim, but will take about four months before they are able to fly and flee from ay predators.

After the breeding season has come to a close it is not unusual to see large numbers of the Coscoroba Swan congregate together. Family groups, like other swans, often stay close to each other, but additionally the Coscoroba will happily share its surroundings with other birds.

The Coscoroba may not be the biggest of swans but in its surroundings and amongst other waterfowl still makes an impression, and although not endangered, care of its habitat will be the only way that this beautiful bird will survive for future generations to admire.

Copyright - First Published 2nd March 2010

The Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnus, the Whooper Swan, is one of the most recognisable of all of the swans. Primarily to be found in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, the Whooper Swan is the very image of how most people think a swan should look.

To many people all swans look alike, and yet there are some very distinctive characteristics of the Whooper Swan. The Whooper Swan is one of the largest of the swans, although smaller than the Trumpeter Swan. A male cob Whooper Swan can measure up to 160cm in length, with a wing span of up to 275cm, although female pen Whooper Swans are noticeably smaller than their male counterparts. The size of the swan of course has a direct impact upon the weight of the bird, with the largest swans weighing up to 20kg.

Male and Female Whooper Swans - Andreas Trepte - CC-BY-SA-2.5

The Whooper Swan is predominantly white, although they do have black legs, with black beaks. The black beaks can have a substantial amount of yellow on them, normally in a triangular shape. The Whooper Swan is also noted for its long thin neck and angular head.

Arguably the most distinctive of the Whooper Swan characteristics is not physical but is rather the call that they make, identified with the trumpet, the sound made is reminiscent of “whoop”, hence their name.

Another characteristic of the Whooper Swan is their courtship ritual. The pair of Whooper Swans will face each other, with their wings lifted and half open. The wings will then start to quiver as the necks of the cob and pen are bent and extended several times. Whilst the display is being put on, the birds will also make their distinctive trumpeting noise.

A successful courtship will see a pair of Whooper Swans mate for life, and also hopefully a successfully breeding period. Both the cob and the pen will help to build a nest, with the pen laying up to 12 eggs, although half that figure is more normal. As the female Whooper Swan then incubates the eggs, the male will become ultra protective over the nest and his mate, although the incubation period lasts for about five weeks.

Whooper Swans at Big Waters - Sciadopitys - CC-BY-SA-2.0

Visiting Whooper Swans to the United Kingdom are normally those that have bred in Iceland, and only a handful of Whooper Swans (three to seven pairs) actually breed in Scotland and northern England.

In the United Kingdom there are an estimated 7000 Whooper Swans to be found from October to March, although this is only a small percentage of the 180000 global population. The majority of Whooper Swans prefer other sites in Northern Europe and Asia. Whooper swans though do seek out particular types of environments. In particular they like wetland habitats, and spend the majority of their lives in water, primarily because their legs have trouble supporting their body weight. They also like farmland areas, as grain stubble and potatoes helps provide them with additional food on top of their normal aquatic plant diet.

The size and sound of the Whooper Swan makes it one of the more recognisable types of swans in the Northern Hemisphere.

Copyright - First Published 1st March 2010

Bewick's Swan

The Bewick’s Swan, Cygnus Bewickii, is one of the more established winter visitors to the United Kingdom, with up to 9000 of the bird migrating there each year. Indeed the Bewick’s Swan is one of only three swans to be commonly found in the United Kingdom, the others being the Mute Swan and the Whooper Swan.

Cygnus Bewickiiis a subspecies Cygnus columbianus, the Tundra Swan, but has a number of features that distinguishes it from other swans. Notably smaller than both the Whooper Swan and Mute Swan, the average size of a male is 135cm in length, with a wingspan of 180cm. This normally means that the swans peak at a weight of 10kg, although female Bewick’s Swans are smaller.

Bewick's Swan - Dick Daniels - CC-BY-SA-3.0

In appearance the Bewick’s Swan is very reminiscent of the Whooper Swan, although it has a shorter neck relative to its size, as well as a more rounded head. The beak though is arguably its most interesting feature, and the beak of the Bewick’s Swan is predominantly black with small amounts of yellow. The yellow markings though have been recognised to be unique to each bird.

The Bewick’s Swans are long time visitors to the United Kingdom and can be found from October through to March. The rest of the year sees them located in their breeding grounds of Siberia and the Arctic coastline. Exact numbers are not known, although there is thought to be a worldwide population of near to 40000, half of these winter in Europe with the other half migrating to East Asia.
Bewick’s Swans mate for life, and during the breeding season, the pen will normally lay five eggs, the incubation period being just over four weeks.

The ideal habitat for the Bewick’s Swan is in wetland areas, especially around lakes and slow moving rivers. To this end the UK populations of the swan are found in large numbers in Cambridgeshire, at the Ouse and Nene Washes, and around the River Severn, especially Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. The wetland areas provides the swans with their normal diet of shoots, roots and leaves, although the normal diet is also often supplemented with grain stubble from farmland. The social nature of the Bewick’s Swan means that it is normally to see family groups grow and stay together over a number of years.

Bewick's Swan - Jonathan Billinger - CC-BY-SA-2.0

As to why it is called Bewick’s Swan, it is recognition of the work undertaken by the eighteenth and nineteenth century British Engraver, Thomas Bewick, who did a great deal of work in creating images of British wildlife.

The Bewick’s Swan is a relatively common sight in the United Kingdom, and although perhaps not as instantaneously recognisable as the Whooper Swan, it is a welcome visitor to the island.

Copyright - First Published 1st March 2010