Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) lives in freshwater wetlands across Southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Hear the Black Swan
A real field recording of the Black Swan, made in the wild.
Black swans stretch up to 1.4 m long. Their bodies measure between 110 and 142 centimetres in length and weigh 3.7-9 kilograms, while the wingspan reaches 1.6 to 2 metres. When fully grown they have a length of 110 to 140 cm and weigh between 3700 to 8750 g, with a wingspan of 160 to 200 cm.
Across a continent-spanning 1 to 10 million km², up to half a million black swans. The species has a large range, with figures between 1 and 10 million km2 given as the extent of occurrence. The current global population is estimated to be up to 500,000 individuals.
When drought hits, black swans abandon settled territories and trek inland, only to return when rains revive the wetlands, a truly opportunistic nomadic lifestyle. The black swan's preferred habitat extends across fresh, brackish and salt water lakes, swamps and rivers... The black swan, like many other water fowl, loses all its flight feathers at once when it moults after breeding and is unable to fly for about a month. This forced flightlessness forces them onto open water, where they stay safe until new feathers grow.
Black swans form lifelong pairs and share every step of raising their young, from incubation to feeding. The black swan is a monogamous breeder, with both partners sharing incubation and cygnet-rearing duties. A typical clutch contains four to eight greenish-white eggs, each weighing 200-320 g, and incubation lasts 35-40 days after the last egg is laid. Chicks fledge after 150 to 170 days and stay with their parents for about nine months.
From a 1697 Dutch sighting to modern town emblems, black swans have woven themselves into human culture worldwide. Black swans were first seen by Europeans in 1697, when Willem de Vlamingh's expedition explored the Swan River, Western Australia. In 1864, the Australian black swan was introduced to New Zealand as an ornamental waterfowl and populations are now common on larger coastal or inland lakes. The Dawlish population is so well associated with the town that the bird has been the town's emblem for forty years. These introductions show how a native Australian icon became a global ornamental favorite.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
As the misty dawn breaks over the tranquil wetlands, a majestic black swan glides effortlessly across the water, its sleek, ebony feathers glistening like polished onyx in the soft, golden light. With a serene and stately elegance, it moves through its domain, its long, slender neck bending and twisting with a fluid, almost hypnotic, rhythm, as if conducting the very symphony of life itself. In this fleeting moment, the black swan embodies the essence of refined wildness, a true marvel of nature's unwavering beauty and poise.
Advertisement
Hear the Black Swan, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
