Family: Anatidae, Ducks and Geese view all from this family
Description 58-60" (1.47-1.52 m). W. 7'11" (2.4 m). Adults all white; bill orange with black knob at base. Young birds similar but dingy gray-brown, becoming whiter with age. The Mute Swan holds its neck in a graceful curve; native swans hold their necks straight up.
Habitat Ponds, rivers, coastal lagoons, and bays.
Nesting 4-6 gray or blue-green eggs in a huge mound-like nest lined with feathers and down, conspicuously placed at the edge of a pond or marsh.
Range Introduced from Europe into northeastern United States; resident and most common in southern New England, southeastern New York, New Jersey, and Maryland; also established locally in Michigan.
Voice Usually silent, but utters hissing and barking notes. A loud trumpeting call is rarely heard; wings make loud whirring sound in flight.
Discussion With its wings arched over its back and its neck in a graceful S-curve, the male is extremely handsome on the water. Breeding pairs are highly aggressive and will defend the nest and young against all comers, using their powerful wings and strong bills to drive away other waterfowl and even humans.
