MUTE SWAN

CHARACTERISTICS: It is distinguished from other white swans by its yellowish-orange to red bill. The others have black and yellow bills. It is also the only white swan which grows a black caruncle on the base of the bill. There is no sexual dimorphism in the plumage. The males are larger and their wingspan is 2,4 metres. The black caruncle on the bill is more developed in the male.
DIET: Their food consists of aquatic plants which they obtain from the bed of the pond or lake. Their diet is complemented with insects, frogs, etc. In Spring they visit sown fields where they feed from the seeds.
REPRODUCTION: They nest once a year. The breeding season is from March to April. The breeding pair select a spot on the bank of a lake or river and defend the territory with ferocity against all visitors, including their own squabs from previous years. In general they lay between three to eight eggs of blue-green colour and the incubation lasts 35 to 38 days.
CURIOSITIES: The pair mate for life. If one of them dies, the surviving individual takes a new partner.