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Whooper Swan
(Cygnus cygnus)
German name(s): "Singschwan"
Size: 1.4-1.6 m; wing span 2.05-2.35 m
Weight:
7.4-14.0 kg (male larger than female)
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Whooper Swans are large birds with an all light-grey
plumage.
Although heavy, once airborne they are good fliers.
The head and upper neck are darker grey than the rest.
They have long necks and short, sturdy legs.
The irises are dark. The relatively long, almost
triangular bill has a black tip and lower mandible,
while the upper mandible has a yellow base.
The legs and fully webbed feet are dark-grey.
Juveniles
are darker-grey than
adults.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Whooper
Swan at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Whooper Swan is available
HERE
.
Whooper Swans are a migratory Eurasian species; their North
American counterparts are the Trumpeter Swans.
Their total range extends from Europe to far-eastern Siberia.
They breed in tundra across the width of Eurasia, while
overwintering at lower geographic latitudes, from the
northern Mediterranean via Asia Minor into central Asia,
notably Mongolia, and eastern Asia (China, South Korea,
Japan).
Whooper Swans migrate within Europe, overwintering on the
British Isles, around the European Atlantic and North Sea
coastline and in the lake districts of northern Germany and
Denmark. There are
also some winter quarters in inland locations of central
Europe, e.g. along the rivers Rhine and Danube, but also
along the Adriatic coastline, parts of Greece and the
coastline of the Black Sea.
Apart from a few exceptions (mostly in inland Poland and
the Baltic States) their breeding grounds are located
in the lake districts of inland Sweden, Finland, northern
Norway and north-western Russia.
Most of the British population migrate to breed in Iceland.
During the breeding season Whooper Swans have a preference for
pools, bogs, swamps and other wetlands with sheltering vegetation.
In their winter quarters they prefer wide open aquatic habitats,
such as lakes or estuaries, because the legs of juvenile birds
cannot support their body weight for long periods of time yet
but rather spend extended periods of time on water, feeding on
submerged vegetation.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
D. Wilczynska reports spotting Whooper Swans near the river Bug,
near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in April 2018.
C. Pears reports finding Whooper Swans in Iceland in May 2015.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of Whooper Swans; note how
the yellow on the bill projects beyond the nostrils
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
Near-frontal view of Whooper Swans on a riverine meadow
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
Lateral view of Whooper Swans on a riverine meadow
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
Near-dorsal view of Whooper Swans
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]
Whooper Swans on a riverine meadow
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
Whooper Swans on a riverine meadow
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
Comparison of a Whooper Swan with a
Mute Swan
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
Near-lateral view of Whooper Swans in flight
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.