Northern Europe Birds · July

Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

Elegant white swan with an orange bill — common on European lakes.

At a glance

HabitatLakes, rivers, parks, coastal lagoons

DietAquatic plants, grasses, some invertebrates

RangeNative Eurasia; introduced elsewhere including North America

Coloring posegliding on lake with arched neck

Hear this bird

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Mating / display: No separately labeled courtship recording was found on primary sources for this species — use the general calls page.

Play calls on All About Birds Wikipedia overview

How to know it

All-white adult plumage
Orange bill with black basal knob
Holds neck in a graceful S-curve

Fun facts

Not truly mute — hisses and snorts
Pairs often defend large territories
Cygnets are gray-brown

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via outbound links only. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab, Audubon, or Xeno-canto.

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