This large bird is very graceful and beautiful, but do be careful as they are very powerful and are highly protective of their young.
The mute swan is a very large, white bird with a distinctive 'S' shaped neck and an orange bill. It is the second largest waterfowl in the world: the largest is the Trumpeter swan of North America. The Mute swan can be distinguished from Whooper and Bewick swans, which have yellow and black bills.
A Mute swan can have a wing span of 2 metres and can be over a metre tall. Their wings make a distinctive humming sound in flight. The swan does grunt, snort, and hiss, but is called a Mute swan because it is quieter than other swans.
Swans build large nests from twigs, reeds, and rushes, and these nests can be up to one and a half metres across. The young swans - called cygnets - fledge after around 120 days and are often chased away by their parents.
Here is an interesting question for you: 'What is the difference between a beak and a bill?' Did you think they are the same thing? There is an important difference. A beak is sharp and useful for picking small insects and seeds, while a bill is flatter and so is useful for tearing plants and filtering water. Not a lot of people know that! Lets move along to the next post.
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