Mute Swan

The mute swan (or Cygnus olor) is a large waterfowl that lives throughout Europe and Asia, with invasive populations in North America and Japan. It is white, with black feet and an orange-red bill, and black markings around the nostrils, eyes, as well as the edge and tip of the bill. A leucistic morph can occur, which is almost indistinguishable in adults, where the legs have a pink colour instead of black. Juvenile swans are normally grey, but have a white plumage if exhibiting leucism. Mute swans have a distinctive black basal knob on the root of the beak between the eyes. This knob is generally larger in males, but varies widely based on the individual, environment, and time of the year, growing larger in breeding males and females during the mating season. Males are typically 1.4m to 1.7m long, have a wingspan between 2m and 2.4m, and weigh 9.2kg to 14.3kg. Female mute swans are slightly smaller at 1.25m to 1.55m long, with a wingspan of 1.8m to 2.16m and a weight of 7.6kg to 10.6kg.