Black swan

Black swan

Scientific name: Cygnus atratus
Situation in the wild: Least threatened
The Jerusalem Zoo: A dozen individuals at the small lake
In the large lake near the Zoo's entrance swim gracefully the swans. So beautiful and delicate seem the swans. Wrong!!! During the breeding season, to defend their territory, swans become very aggressive. Any intruder, including human, which will venture too close to the swans' nest risks being hit by the charging swan's wings. Injuries to people that were attacked by swans are not rare. Nonetheless, there is no reason to fear our Zoo's swans. They are used to people and are not aggressive. Our Zoo harbors three swan species out of the six that are found around the world: the Mute swan, which the familiar white swan that originates from Europe and Central Asia (although it was introduced to many other areas around the world), the Black swan that originated from Australia and Tasmania, and the Black-necked swan that originated from South-America. The Swans belong to a single genus within the family Anatidae and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family. Swans are characterized by their relatively large size (a mute swan cob may reach 16 Kg with a wingspan of 2.4 meters), their long neck, and their powerful, short legs, which are adopted for swimming. The Black swan is smaller than other species, plumage is black with an red bill bordered with black.
The Swans find most of their food in the water. They dip their necks to find their favorite water plants, and enrich their diet with insects, mollusks and amphibians, which share the swans' watery habitat. During the breeding season, in the wild, Swan pairs defend large territories that may reach a size of 10 acres, and may include small lakes and ponds. The nest in constructed of vegetation near the water edge, and in it 5-7 eggs are laid. After shared brooding duties that last about 36 days the cygnets hatch. In the early months of their life their down feathers are grey and their feathers are brownish. The cygnets stay with their parents for a long time. They fledge only after several months and still may stay with their parents, even when those have started another breeding cycle. Most often swan pairs will stay together for a long time, but divorce and polygamy are also known, and if one mate widows, it will not stay single for long and will find a new mate.
Black swans can live solitary lives, but it is more common to see then in flocks numbering hundreds or even thousands.
The Black Swan was described scientifically by English naturalist John Latham in 1790. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Today, Black Swans are popular birds in Zoological gardens and bird collections. Here at the Zoo the Swans are found all year round, they enjoy a comfortable life at the small lake and, in return, we enjoy their splendor.