Mute Swan

How to identify

Field marks

1. Black knob on the forehead, larger in male
2. Body pure white, neck long and slender
3. Bill orange-red, with black along the edges and around the nostrils
4. Neck long and slender, often held in an S shape

Male, female and young

Sexes identical in color; male larger with a larger knob; female has a poorly developed knob; juvenile lacks a knob and has a dark gray-black bill.

Voice

Gurgles, harsh whistles and snorts; hisses at intruders.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, United Kingdom, Canada

Mute Swan has been recorded at 1,606 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 68 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

1. Prospect ParkUnited States27,495 records
2. Cape Island – Cape May Point SPUnited States24,800 records
3. Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States22,371 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesUnited KingdomCanadaGermanySpainCzechiaPolandFrance

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan and a member of the family Anatidae within the waterfowl order. It is native to much of Europe and parts of Asia and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and Southern Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions