The black swan is the mystical symbol of Western Australia. black swan australian black swan

Lifestyle

Unlike many water birds and other species of swans, the black swan is not a migratory bird. However, it is very mobile and even relatively small disturbances such as continuous noise can cause it to change location. The new site, however, is usually located no further than 100 km from the old one. Black swans in most cases spend their entire lives in approximately the same region where they were born and raised, reacting to changes in water levels. Young males try to prevent other males from settling in their range. In dry years, many swans gather on the coasts of Australia, in protected lagoons and bays.

Nutrition

Black swans feed mainly on aquatic plants and small algae, they also do not disdain grains, such as wheat or corn. Sometimes they pluck leaves from branches of weeping willows hanging to the water, or coastal grasses.

reproduction

Mating periods vary depending on the region and its typical annual cycles of high water levels. However, black swans brought to Europe sometimes retain their old Australian rhythm and hatch their chicks often in winter. As a rule, black swans nest in colonies, building a large hilly nest in some shallow water. From year to year, they can reuse the same nest, adjusting it as necessary. Like other swans, the black swan is an extremely loyal bird and does not change its partners. Both parents are involved in building the nest and taking care of the offspring.

The female lays four to eight greenish, foul-smelling eggs, which are subsequently incubated alternately by both parents for six weeks. Males do not cope well with this task, as they often forget to turn the eggs over with their beaks or sit down past the eggs. Males and females jointly take care of the chicks, who learn to fly five months after birth. Sexual maturity comes at the age of two and a half to three years, after which the males become quite aggressive, especially in captivity.

Cultural aspects

The first European black swans in Australia are mentioned in 1697 by the traveler Willem de Vlaminck, who named the river where they were seen, the river of swans, or Swan. Reports of black swans were confirmed in 1726, when two individuals caught on the island of Derk Hartog were delivered to Batavia.

The black swan is now considered a symbol of Western Australia, it is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of this state. The image of a black swan can also be found on the stamps and coats of arms of four cities in eastern Australia.

The protagonist of G. Gazdanov's story "Black Swans" (1930) draws an image of Australia as a country of antipodes - an inaccessible paradise of graceful black swans, where life is completely different than in Europe: "And he spoke of the sky covered with mighty black wings - this some other history of the world, this is the possibility of a different understanding of everything that exists.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing the Black Swan

“The place is convenient,” said the esaul.
“We’ll send infantry from below—by swamps,” Denisov continued, “they’ll crawl up to the garden; you will call with the Cossacks from there, ”Denisov pointed to the forest outside the village,“ and I’m from here, with my gusags.
“It won’t be possible in a hollow - it’s a quagmire,” said the esaul. - You will bog down the horses, you have to go around to the left ...
While they were talking in an undertone in this way, below, in the hollow from the pond, one shot clicked, smoke began to turn white, another, and a friendly, as if cheerful, cry of hundreds of voices of the French who were on the half-mountain was heard. In the first minute, both Denisov and the esaul leaned back. They were so close that it seemed to them that they were the cause of these shots and screams. But the shots and screams did not belong to them. Below, through the swamps, a man in something red was running. Obviously, the French were shooting at him and shouting at him.
- After all, this is our Tikhon, - said the esaul.
- He! they are!
“Eka rogue,” said Denisov.
- Leave! - screwing up his eyes, said the esaul.
The man whom they called Tikhon, running up to the river, flopped into it so that the spray flew, and, hiding for a moment, all black from the water, got out on all fours and ran on. The French, who were running after him, stopped.
- Well, clever, - said the esaul.
- What a beast! Denisov said with the same expression of annoyance. And what has he done so far?
- Who is this? Petya asked.
- This is our plast. I sent him to pick up the language.
“Ah, yes,” said Petya from Denisov’s first word, nodding his head as if he understood everything, although he decidedly did not understand a single word.
Tikhon Shcherbaty was one of the most needed people in the party. He was a peasant from Pokrovsky near Gzhatya. When, at the beginning of his actions, Denisov came to Pokrovskoye and, as always, calling the headman, asked what they knew about the French, the headman answered, as all the headmen answered, as if defending themselves, that they did not know anything, know they don't know. But when Denisov explained to them that his goal was to beat the French, and when he asked if the French had wandered into them, the headman said that there had been marauders for sure, but that in their village only Tishka Shcherbaty was engaged in these matters. Denisov ordered Tikhon to be called to him and, praising him for his activities, said a few words in front of the headman about the loyalty to the tsar and the fatherland and hatred for the French, which the sons of the fatherland should observe.
“We do no harm to the French,” said Tikhon, apparently timid at these words of Denisov. - We only so, means, on hunting dabbled with the guys. It’s like two dozen Miroderov were beaten, otherwise we didn’t do anything bad ... - The next day, when Denisov, completely forgetting about this peasant, left Pokrovsky, he was informed that Tikhon had stuck to the party and asked to be left with it. Denisov ordered to leave him.
Tikhon, who at first corrected the menial work of laying fires, delivering water, skinning horses, etc., soon showed a great desire and ability for guerrilla warfare. He went out at night to plunder and each time brought with him a dress and French weapons, and when he was ordered, he brought prisoners. Denisov put Tikhon away from work, began to take him on trips with him and enrolled him in the Cossacks.
Tikhon did not like to ride and always walked, never falling behind the cavalry. His weapons were a blunderbuss, which he wore more for laughter, a lance and an ax, which he owned like a wolf owns teeth, equally easily picking fleas out of wool and biting thick bones with them. Tikhon equally faithfully, with all his might, split logs with an ax and, taking the ax by the butt, cut out thin pegs with it and cut out spoons. In the party of Denisov, Tikhon occupied his own special, exceptional place. When it was necessary to do something especially difficult and ugly - to turn a wagon in the mud with his shoulder, to pull a horse out of the swamp by the tail, skin it, climb into the very middle of the French, walk fifty miles a day - everyone pointed, chuckling, at Tikhon.
“What the hell is he doing, hefty merenina,” they said about him.
Once a Frenchman, whom Tikhon was taking, shot him with a pistol and hit him in the flesh of his back. This wound, from which Tikhon was treated only with vodka, internally and externally, was the subject of the most cheerful jokes in the whole detachment and jokes that Tikhon willingly succumbed to.
"What, brother, won't you?" Ali cringed? the Cossacks laughed at him, and Tikhon, deliberately crouching and making faces, pretending to be angry, scolded the French with the most ridiculous curses. This incident had only the effect on Tikhon that, after his wound, he rarely brought prisoners.
Tikhon was the most useful and brave man in the party. No one more than him discovered cases of attacks, no one else took him and beat the French; and as a result, he was the jester of all Cossacks, hussars, and he himself willingly succumbed to this rank. Now Tikhon was sent by Denisov, that night, to Shamshevo in order to take language. But, either because he was not satisfied with one Frenchman, or because he slept through the night, he climbed into the bushes during the day, into the very middle of the Frenchmen and, as he saw from Mount Denisov, was discovered by them.

Type characteristic

Vlaming (a European naturalist) was amazed when he first saw in 1697 that swans in Australia were black. The scientific description of the species was made by the English naturalist John Latham in 1790. The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is found in wetlands throughout southwestern and eastern Australia and the adjacent offshore islands of Tasmania, as well as in New Zealand, where the black swan was introduced in 1864 and successfully introduced. In central and northern Australia, this species is quite rare. The black swan is a common species of the Australian avifauna, nesting in swamps and estuaries, preferring shallow waters. In Europe and North America, black swans can be found in protected areas as well as in zoos. In Europe, there is also a natural population of black swans of 60-70 nesting pairs, formed from abandoned and feral birds in the Netherlands and, possibly, Germany. This is a sedentary species, however, in the presence of anxiety or depending on climatic factors, it can migrate to places that are calmer and more favorable in terms of conditions, but no further than 100 km.

At present, the existence of the black swan in the world is not threatened, and the world population of the swan, according to IUCN estimates, is from 100,000 to one million adults.

Description of the species

Black swans do not have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are slightly smaller in size and have a shorter neck and beak. The color of the plumage and paws of adult birds is black. And only the primary flight feathers are white. The beak is bright red with a white tip. Juveniles are grayish-brown ground color with grayish flight feathers. The sizes of black swans vary between 110 and 142 cm in length, and the weight can be from 3.7 to 9 kg. The wingspan is from 1.6 to 2 meters. The long neck has a characteristic " S "-shaped and relatively longer than other species of swans, so that the swan can forage in deeper waters. Moulting in black swans occurs once a year after breeding. Due to molting, swans cannot fly for about a month, therefore they stay in large open water spaces away from predators.The approximate lifespan of a black swan in the wild is about 10 years.

The content of black swans in captivity and a description of the climate of the natural range.

The black swan inhabits temperate and subtropical climatic zones, characterized by relatively mild winters.The black swan is easily tamed and quickly became a common decorative bird in parks and gardens around the world. Black swans are especially popular in Western Europe, in particular in the UK.

The first black swans were brought in 1791 to Great Britain, and a little later to France. The first offspring were obtained in 1837 at the London Zoo, and already in 1850, black swans were successfully bred in Germany and France.

It is desirable to keep black swans separate from other swan species, although if the body of water is large enough, they may co-exist with a pair of mute swans, provided their nesting territories do not overlap. Young birds can be kept in flocks, but it is better for adult pairs to allocate their own place. Black swans are less aggressive towards geese and ducks than other swans, but may show aggression towards dark geese. The degree of aggressiveness rises during the breeding season - at this time, black swans can kill any ducks that accidentally appear near the nest. They can be aggressive towards people as well. If you keep black swans solely for beauty, then it is better to buy female black swans, as males may conflict with each other.

In captivity, the black swan can form interspecific pairs with other water birds, in particular, hybrids have been recorded with the mute swan, tundra swan, whooper, trumpeter swan, and even with the gray goose and Canada goose.

Despite being monogamous, black swans are the most social of all swan species. Pairs of these birds also build nests closer together than other swan species.

Feeding black swans in captivity and natural environment.

Black swans are predominantly herbivorous birds, although there are some regional and seasonal variations in diet. The main food is aquatic plants and small algae (cattail, vallisneria, pondweed, charophytes, duckweed). Do not refuse grains, such as wheat or corn. They can pluck leaves from the lower branches of coastal trees (weeping willows, etc.). They may occasionally accidentally eat a few insects or small aquatic invertebrates.

In captivity, they can eat grains, bread, and special pellets for waterfowl, and it is also necessary to provide the birds with fresh greens throughout the year. Swans will eat aquatic weeds and meadow grasses, but they will not refuse the owner's offer of lettuce and cabbage. They are comparatively slow eaters, and care should be taken to ensure that they receive sufficient food in mixed multi-species flocks.

Reproduction and breeding of black swans

The mating season varies greatly in time depending on the breeding area and usually occurs in autumn (March-April) and winter. A relationship has been established between the reproduction of black swans and the annual cycles of fluctuations in the water level. In Europe, black swans maintain their natural breeding rhythm and often hatch chicks in winter. They usually nest in colonies. Tall, hilly nests are built from rough reed stalks in shallow water, small islands, or along a river bank.

A full clutch often consists of 5 (4-8) greenish-white eggs. The incubation period is about 6 weeks. They begin to incubate only after the last egg is laid, so the hatching of the chicks is synchronous. Both sexes incubate. The nest actively defends itself against all possible enemies. After hatching, the little swans stay on the nest for about 36 hours, and then stay with their parents for about 9 months. Cubs may ride on their parents' backs during long migrations to deeper waters. Young birds chicks fledge in about five months. Puberty occurs between two and a half to three years, after which males, especially in captivity, become extremely belligerent and aggressive.

During the season, two full clutches are possible. The first brood of chicks will be abandoned if the swans start their second breeding cycle in the same season. In this case, and if the chicks were hatched in an incubator, they should be kept in a nursery with a heat lamp (the temperature during the first week of life in the nursery should be at least 33 ° C), while it is necessary that there is enough space for the birds in the room, so they can choose their comfort zone. It is necessary to provide access to water for bathing, for a start it must be the appropriate size of the bowl. Feed the swans for the first few days with chopped hard-boiled eggs, and then feed them with special pellets and (or) chopped herbs. Clean drinking water and sand should always be available. If the weather allows, the swans can be outdoors in an enclosure with a pond two to three times a week.

Like other swans, the black swan is mostly monogamous, and lives in established pairs until the death of one of the partners. Partner changes are extremely rare (about 6% of divorces). Recent studies have shown that about a third of all broods are reared with the help of another male. It is estimated that a quarter of all couples are homosexual, mostly male couples. Such pairs steal nests, or form a temporary trio with females to obtain eggs, chasing away the female immediately after laying the eggs.

Black swans beautifully and interestingly look after each other during the breeding season. We will give a description of this ritual from the words of N.Yu. Feoktistova. (The Tale of the Swan, as black as pitch. No. 05/2005 of the newspaper "Biology") .

“Lacy plumage is displayed by swans during a very beautiful courtship ritual that precedes and accompanies the mating process. The performance begins with the fact that the male or female attracts the attention of a partner with graceful movements of his long neck. The initiating bird first stretches its neck, and then plunges it into the water - and so on until the second partner enters the dance. Now both swans stretch and plunge their necks into the water in front of each other, and then the real ballet on the water begins. Two birds intertwine their necks and simultaneously immerse them in water ... and this is repeated for more than 20 minutes. The mating that follows a flawless dance looks much more awkward. The male grabs a bunch of feathers on the female's neck with his beak and climbs onto her back. Since it is much heavier, the female is immersed in water. After a few seconds (so long copulation lasts), she releases her neck from captivity, lets out a loud cry and breaks out to the surface. Then the female stretches her neck up, raises her wings and, together with the male, makes another loud cry. Having recovered from the mating ritual, both birds circle around each other for some time.

Enclosures for black swans.

Black swans are generally fairly easy to keep in captivity. For a prosperous existence, they need to provide access to a reservoir with gentle banks (best natural and large areas) and good meadows around. In winter, it is necessary to maintain a mirror of ice-free water on the pond. The shore of the reservoir is partially lined with straw.

For one pair, the enclosure must be at least 400 square meters. m., taking into account that half will be occupied by a reservoir, and the other half by a pasture. The shores, as we should already be, are gentle so that the birds and their chicks can easily get out of the water onto land and back. Fences adjacent to other enclosures should be dense or lined with plants to avoid injury to the swans, who often try to fight each other through the wire fences. Also, the fence should be high enough to prevent swans from fighting through the top of the partitions.

Russian name- Black Swan
Latin name- Cygnus atratus
English name- Black Swan
Class- Birds (Aves)
Detachment- Anseriformes
Family- Ducks (Anatidae)
Genus- swans (Cygnus)

The status of the species in nature

The black swan is quite widespread in its natural habitats and is among the species that are under the least threat.

View and person

Before the Europeans settled Australia, it was believed that swans had only white plumage, but the discovery in 1697 by an expedition led by Willem Vlaminck in the west of the continent of a huge population of black swans changed this idea. True, one can still hear the oldest winged expression of the ancient Roman poet Juvenal - "a good person is as rare as a black swan." In Europe, for many years, because of the mourning plumage, the black swan was a frightening bird and was considered a harbinger of trouble. But from the middle of the 19th century, this unusual bird began to be actively imported to Europe and North America to decorate parks and reservoirs.

At home in Australia, the species has undergone active extermination. During molting, the swan (like other anseriformes) loses its ability to fly for a while and becomes easy prey. The number of swans quickly decreased. However, after the adoption of a number of environmental measures. Now, in some parts of Australia and New Zealand, minor shooting of swans has again been allowed: their numbers have increased many times over, and they can sometimes cause great damage to agriculture by raiding fields.

Spreading

The black swan lives everywhere in Australia and the island of Tasmania, it is well acclimatized in New Zealand, where it was introduced in the century. This bird is an excellent flier, and has managed to adapt to life in the dry climate of Australia, making flights in search of freshwater, sometimes across the entire continent. Unlike other swans, the black swan is not a migratory bird.

Appearance

The black swan is medium in size among swans. Birds can weigh from 5 to 9 kg, growth can reach one and a half meters, wingspan - up to 2 meters, males are usually larger than females. The main color of the plumage is black with a moire tint, the feathers on the edges of the wings are slightly curled. When taking off, white feathers appear in the wing area. The neck is the longest among all swans, the beak is bright red with a white ring at the end. The webbed paws are black, the iris of the eyes is colored in shades of brown.

Diet and feeding behavior

The long neck helps the swan to get food from the bottom of the reservoir. It does not know how to dive, so it feeds in shallow water or on the shore. It feeds mainly on aquatic plants and their rhizomes, as well as plants growing along the banks of water bodies with grass, leaves and young shoots of shrubs and trees. Flocks of swans often feed on the fields of cultivated plants, for which farmers do not like the bird. Moving from one reservoir to another, swans can cover distances of several tens of kilometers.

social behavior

The legend of swan fidelity fully reflects the interaction in a pair of black swans: pairs of these birds form for life.
Within the group of swans, very close, in the literal sense of the word, relationships are also built. And they all fly together to feed, and they build nests, and the chicks are brought out very close to each other. During the nesting period, black swans gather in colonies consisting of several hundred pairs of birds (swans are usually considered pairs). However, adult males may occasionally chase away young to defend their territory while nesting. The male and female build the nest together, they also share the incubation time with each other.

reproduction

Sexual maturity occurs in black swans between the third and fourth years of life. Birds start nesting from February to August, depending on the rainy season. To build a nest, they choose, as a rule, a shallow pond with fresh water, where they make a high and wide nest, up to 1 meter in diameter, from branches and other plant material. From the outside, it looks like a small island, which can sometimes drift across a pond. Immediately after the completion of the construction of the nest, the female lays the first egg, then at intervals of about a day - another 3 to 8 eggs. Incubation of masonry begins with the first egg and lasts a little over a month. The chicks hatch in turns within 2-3 days. For some time they remain in the nest, and then leave it, flopping into the water to one of the parents, the other remains in the nest until the last chick hatches. This is followed by a full family reunion. Parents will take care of the younger generation for the next 3-4 months. Small chicks are covered with dark gray fluff, by the age of six months they fledge and begin to fly confidently, and a year later they reach the size of their parents and already outwardly do not differ from them.

Vocalization

The black swan has a slightly noisy, harsh voice, it can be heard when the birds exchange greetings with each other or warn of danger. During flights, they can make powerful and deep trumpet sounds, well audible over long distances. With such sounds, they can call on relatives or show irritation.

Lifespan

The life expectancy of black swans in nature is about 20 years, in captivity - much longer.

The history of life in the zoo

On the Big Pond, black swans can be seen all year round, but black swans endure frosts worse than their white counterparts, so ornithologists closely monitor the condition of these birds. If the swans are covered with icicles, they are transferred to a warm room. Black swans have a looser plumage than other species, and in severe frosts spray freezes on it.
In our zoo, swans have access to a reservoir with a good gentle slope on which grass grows. In addition, swans at the zoo eat cabbage, grated carrots, millet, corn, wheat and special chicken feed. Thanks to good care and nutrition, chicks appear in the zoo every year, and our visitors are very happy to watch them grow up.

On the planet is a black swan. Unlike their white-winged relatives, more familiar to our eyes, these birds are smaller in size, but they have the longest neck among all representatives of such birds. And you can fully appreciate their beauty if you see a black swan in flight - then contrasting white flight feathers in its wings, graceful lines of the body and graceful movements are noticeable.

These beauties are native to Australia. On this closed continent, many unique species of flora and fauna have been preserved that have disappeared from the face of the rest of the world. The black swan is one of them. At the moment, this bird is on the verge of extinction in the wild on its native mainland. You can occasionally meet him in a natural setting on the islands of New Zealand, but in captivity he is distributed throughout the world as an inhabitant of zoos and ordinary city parks, along with ducks, geese and mute swans.

The black swan is a noble and majestic bird (the photo is proof of this)! Involuntarily hold your breath, admiring this handsome man! By the way, it does not roam depending on the season, like other birds, preferring to stay in the same place, and can easily live its whole life (and it is about 20 years) in its range.

If you look at photographs of a young black swan, you can be a little disappointed. Chicks and young individuals are completely different from adult swans. They are covered with brownish fluff, and only upon reaching the age of five months do they begin to resemble their handsome parents. The wingspan of an adult swan can reach 2 meters, it usually weighs from 4 to 8 kilograms. But, despite the seeming sluggishness, this handsome man takes off very quickly. Its beauty is considered undeniable among swans - a beautiful dark plumage with a moire pattern, a contrasting dark red beak, curled primary feathers make its appearance truly fabulous.

Unlike mute relatives, the black swan has a loud trumpet voice, which it uses when calling its flock. These birds are quite sociable, live in communities and are distinguished by a non-conflict character. Perhaps this is the reason why they have become a favorite park bird around the world. And more recently, you can meet them on the lawns of private estates. Along with peacocks and guinea fowls, these beauties are the decoration of a private house.

In terms of content, they are unpretentious. The black swan feeds mainly on plants. Thanks to him, he can extract their stems deep from under the water. In addition to food, the bird uses prey when organizing nesting - black swans' nests are made from the stems of aquatic plants. And when kept in captivity, he remarkably eats corn, cabbage leaves and food intended for geese. To keep a black swan in a private house, you do not need a separate pool at all. He satisfies his need for water well even if there is an ordinary trough with water. In addition, they tolerate low temperatures well, and therefore they can be kept without problems in our climate both in summer and in winter.

Black, but at the same time the most beautiful of the known varieties of swans, can often be seen in parks. The article provides a detailed description of the bird and colorful photographs.

What does a feathered representative look like?

The black "king of the pond", which stands out not only for the color of feathers, but also for the longest neck among relatives, according to the classification, belongs to the family of ducks and the order of swans. A species native to Australia. The bird looks like this:

1. Slightly smaller in size than their white relatives - mute. The length from the neck to the tail is 110-140 cm, and the weight is from 5 to 8 kg.
2. The neck consists of 32 vertebrae. Due to this length, representatives of the species get food from the deeper parts of the lakes. At the time when the individual is flying, it is clearly seen that the neck is longer than half of the body.
3. Almost all feathers are dark. Some white is found on the underside of the wings. A light feather is noticeable during takeoff.
4. Along the edge of the wing, the plumage is slightly twisted upwards. This gives the silhouette splendor.
5. The skin on the paws is black, and on the beak is red.
6. The little swan is covered with gray down. Beak and legs are black.
7. The iris is orange or brown.

Attention! Waterfowl were brought to Europe in the middle of the 18th century. At first, they were disliked and believed that they bring trouble. The reason for this was the dark plumage.

Where does it live and how does it live

In nature, the black-feathered swan is found in Australia and New Zealand. The bird lives near stagnant reservoirs with fresh water. The habitat does not change seasonally.

The mating season for swans begins in time depending on the region of habitat. In our latitudes, this most often occurs in late autumn or winter. A pair of birds form for life. Both parents build a nest, which they subsequently use for more than one year. Together they take care of the offspring. In laying from 4 to 8 eggs covered with a pale green shell.

The chicks hatch after 6 weeks of incubation. For 3 days they are in the nest, then they go to the pond with their mother. The offspring are covered with a gray edge. The beak and legs of the chicks are black. At 5 months from birth, they adapt to fly. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 2.5-3 years. In nature, the life span of a bird is up to 10 years.

The swan feeds mainly on aquatic vegetation. The diet also includes a small percentage of insects and mollusks. To get food, the bird stands almost vertically in the water and takes out the right one from the very bottom. Sometimes the swan goes in search of food to the meadows and fields adjacent to the reservoir. Here feathered beauties seek out young sprouts.

Attention! Swans quickly adapt to new habitat conditions. Thanks to this, they are successfully bred in zoos around the world.

Nowadays, the swan is considered a symbol of Western Australia. The image of a dark bird is on the coats of arms and stamps of several cities on the mainland.

The black swan is a truly majestic bird. Unfortunately, due to the once active hunting, not so many individuals remained in nature, and in some areas of Australia it was completely exterminated.

Black swans: video