Whistling, or Bewick's, swan
The Whistling, or Bewick's, swan is a striking all-white bird notable for its unique yellow patches located below each eye. This species, known scientifically as Cygnus columbianus in North America and sometimes as Cygnus bewickii in Europe and Asia, is the smallest of the three swan species found in Europe. Weighing between 13 to 14 pounds and measuring about four feet in length, these birds possess a wingspan of six to seven feet. Commonly found in Arctic regions during the breeding season, they prefer nesting in tundra and grassy swamps, migrating south for winter to warmer lake and river habitats.
Their diet consists of various plant materials, including aquatic vegetation and crops from harvested fields. Whistling swans are social outside of mating season and typically form lifelong pairs, with females laying three to five eggs per clutch. After a month of incubation, the cygnets are born and are capable of flight within six weeks. Whistling swans are distinctive for their high-pitched calls, which resonate during migration and while they congregate in their habitats. With a lifespan of up to 22 years, these swans are resilient birds that have adapted to their environments effectively.
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Whistling, or Bewick's, swan
The whistling swan is the most common swan in North America and is named for one of the sounds it makes. It is all white and has a distinctive yellow patch on either side of its beak below each eye. It is also called Bewick's swan in the Old World. Additonally, this bird is sometimes known as the tundra swan for it's ability to survive in the arid environment.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cygnus
Species: Columbianus
The whistling swan, like most of the other swans, has all-white plumage. Its distinctive marks are the round or square, yellow patches below and in front of either eye on either side of its black bill. The whistling swan is about four feet (one meter) long and weighs an average of 13 to 14 pounds (six kilograms). Their wings span six to seven feet (around two meters). It is the smallest of the three swans in Europe, the other two being the mute and whooper swans.
In the Old World of Europe and Asia, the whistling swan is known as Bewick's swan and is sometimes classified as a separate species, Cygnus bewickii. It is named after the famous British illustrator of birds, Thomas Bewick, who lived from 1753 to 1828.
The whistling swan lives in the far northern regions of the world along the Arctic coasts of North America and the former Soviet Union. Common nesting sites are the tundra and other grassy, flat swamps with lakes and pools. Some may also nest on coasts and islands or along broad, slow-moving rivers. The winters are spent in warmers regions on lakes, rivers, ponds, slow-moving rivers, and reservoirs in lowland regions.
Before they migrate for the winter, the swans molt, or shed, their feathers all at once and then grow a new set. Autumn's arrival signals the departure of the swans from breeding grounds to winter grounds. Winter is spent in these warmer places until mid-February when they fly their return migration to Arctic breeding grounds. Along both migratory trips, the swans stop and rest in the same places each way each year. In flight, the swans fly similarly to geese, but with faster beating of their wings. These heavy birds are strong fliers once they become airborne, and they are also able to walk on land with ease. The high-pitched honking, yelping, and whistling sounds of the swans may be heard as they migrate and when they are gathered in their habitats.
The whistling swan eats a variety of plant matter. It eats large quantities of shoots and short grasses. Like ducks, it also tips its body forward, head underwater and tail in the air, to eat underwater weeds. Its three-foot (one-meter) neck allows it to reach deeply into the water. The swan also forages for grain from harvested fields, winter wheat sprouts, and vegetables which grow underground, such as potatoes.
Whistling swans mate between June and August. They are social birds except when they are mating. Their nests are mounds of grass, sedge, and moss on banks or hills without snow in the Arctic. Each nest is around 1 1/2 feet (45 centimeters) high and three feet (one meter) wide at the base. The cob, or male, brings material to the pen, or female, who finishes the nest mound. At the top of the nest the pen builds a small cup and lines it with soft grass and down for her three to five off-white eggs. Incubation of the eggs lasts for one month. Whenever the pen leaves the nest, she covers the eggs with grass and down to keep them warm and to hide them from predators. Shortly after hatching, the cygnets, or young swans, leave the nest and are able to fly in about six weeks. They are able to mate when they reach the age of three or four years, and each mating pair stays together for life. If one of the two die, the surviving swan may take up to three years to find a new mate. The swans may live up to 22 years.
Bibliography
“Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus Columbianus Bewickii).” Birds of North America, www.birds-of-north-america.net/Bewick’s‗Swan.html. Accessed 16 May 2024.
“Bewick’s Swan- Cygnus Bewickii.” Avibase, avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=3D8F0A76. Accessed 16 May 2024.
Robinson, Jessica. “Cygnus Columbianus (Tundra Swan).” Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cygnus‗columbianus/. Accessed 16 May 2024.