Swan-mute: description, habitat and photo

Today the hero of our article will be the largest and majestic representative of the goose squad - the mute swan. Snow-white handsome amazes with his grace and article.

Habitat

Swan-mute is one of the largest birds in Russia. Its weight reaches 14 kg. He likes standing ponds with large thickets of semi-aquatic vegetation - cattails, cane of lake, cane, sedge. The facts of its nesting at the Cheboksary reservoir, Zavolzhskie lakes are documented. Distributed from southern Scandinavia and Middle Europe to the Ussuri valley, to the south to Asia Minor, Afghanistan, Iran. In winter, it migrates to the Caspian and Mediterranean seas. Individuals living in the south do not fly to winter. This species is registered in seventy countries.

Swan-mute: description

A large bird belongs to the family of ducks. Swan-mute (detachment of goose) is protected in many countries. The body length of the bird on average is one hundred and sixty centimeters (including the neck), the wing span reaches two hundred and forty centimeters. The plumage is snow-white, on the neck and head there is a light ocherous coating. Adult individuals have a bright red beak, bridle, velvety cone under the beak. The legs are dyed black.

The young swan-mute has feathering light gray with a brownish hue. His beak is gray-lilac. The color of the plumage changes to about three years. These birds have a thicker neck than other white swans. On the float they hold it in the form of the letter "S", effectively raise their wings and frightfully hiss (hence the name went). Unlike their northern counterparts, they can not make loud trumpet sounds.

Habitat and nutrition

Swan-mute prefers to create a couple, in which he lives constantly. Birds nest on the overgrown lakes. Having occupied a small pond, the pair does not allow other birds to enter its territory. Nests are created in the reed beds. They represent a large structure of moss, reeds and grass. For the construction of birds use last year's reed, to which a large amount of other plant material is added. The bottom of the nest is strewn with its down and soft panicles.

The construction of his home devotes much time to the mute swan. What does this powerful bird eat? Basically, these are fruits, green parts and roots of plants growing in the pond and on its shores. In addition, these are mollusks, small crustaceans, worms. Sometimes in the summer time birds go to the steppe to eat cereal.

Marriage season

As already mentioned, the miter creates a couple for life. In the breeding season, which begins in early spring, birds are pestering, who have not yet found their partner. Wanting to win the heart of the chosen one, the male swims around it, raising its wings, twisting its head from side to side. If the female responds to courtship, she takes the same pose. During the nesting period, the pair occupies an area of about 100 hectares. After building a nest, the swans mate. Usually this happens in the water.

Reproduction, offspring

Sexual maturity of birds reach to three to four years. The female lays 4-6 eggs of white or light yellow color. The incubation period lasts 35-38 days. The female rears the offspring. The male at this time guards his girlfriend, being always nearby. It should be noted that the mute swan possesses good fatherly qualities. Interesting facts have been recorded by many researchers. When the female needs to leave the nest for a short time to get food for herself, her place is taken by the male. He is not afraid of any predators. With one blow of his powerful wing, he is able to kill a fox, to break a man's hand .

Appearing chicks weigh about 200 grams. They are covered with thick gray fluff, barely dry, ready to leave the nest. However, at first they accompany their mother everywhere, sitting comfortably on her back. From the first hours of life the chicks feed on their own, only for the night they return to the nest under the mother's wing to keep warm. The offspring are nursed by both parents.

In four months (sometimes a little earlier) the chicks begin to take off. From this moment they are united in large youth flocks. In natural conditions, the mute swan lives 25-28 years.

During the breeding period, the mute swan is very aggressive. He fiercely defends his nest, ruthlessly expels other birds and their broods from the "own" pond.

Wintering

Going to winter, these birds gather in the thousands of flocks, most often consisting of family groups. This ensures their greater safety.

When there is no possibility to obtain food due to rain or wind, the swans lay down on the ground, hide their legs and beak in the warm plumage, and weather conditions are expected for hours in this position.

Life in a pack

Spines are very accommodating. They are peaceful towards their brethren and other birds. Fights happen extremely rarely, only in cases when it is necessary to protect their territory. Opponents strongly beat each other with beaks and wings.

Swan-mute: The Red Book

Despite the fact that at present the condition of the species does not cause fear, a beautiful bird needs protection. It must be protected from poachers, observe periods of silence on water in May-June. At this time, the swan mute breeds. The Red Book of Russia, Tatarstan, Belarus, the Saratov region has in its lists this handsome man.

Content in captivity

These snow-white birds have been kept in captivity for a long time. With proper maintenance, the swan-mute does not suffer from this at all and does not strive for freedom. It easily adapts in new conditions, quickly creates a pair even with a minimal choice, successfully reproduces.

Before buying swans for content, it is necessary to fulfill a number of mandatory conditions:

- to organize a pond with clean water;

- to provide winter maintenance of birds.

The reservoir can be of any size, but it is desirable that it be as much as possible. This facilitates the care of birds. If there is one, then part of the problem is solved. In winter, it can install a compressor and pipes for pumping air and water. Thus, a constant flow is created, the pond does not freeze even in severe frosts.

Some act differently - they transfer birds from a large pond to a winter room. Provided that there will be a swimming pool in which you can regularly change the water, and a small clearing for walking with a dry litter, the birds will feel comfortable.

However, the most humane way of winter keeping is to transfer swans to overexposure to the nursery, which has all the conditions for winter keeping of birds with a guarantee of their conservation.

Number of

According to the latest data, there are 500,000 individuals of this species in the world, of which 350,000 live in Russia. The most part lives in the delta of the Volga. About 30 thousand broods live in the UK, in other countries such birds are much smaller. Hunting for these birds was banned in 1960, after which their numbers increased significantly.

Interesting Facts

Swans-fishes - birds are pretty smart, having a good memory. They easily remember the one who offended them, and even in a few months they can take revenge on him. People are aggressive only during breeding, protecting clutch or chicks. Spines have excellent eyesight and hearing. The birds communicate in an interesting language, consisting of a large number of gestures and sounds. The body of an adult swan covers more than 23 thousand feathers. Individuals who live in captivity often reach the age of thirty.