The mute swan, a very large white waterbird. It has a long S-shaped neck, and an orange bill with a black base.
The Mute Swan is a well known bird in the British Isles often frequenting public parks and being tame are a favourite with people of all ages who like to feed them This tameness has found them a special place in the hearts of many people in Britain thus ensuring that it is treated with fondness and respect The Mute Swan is one of 7 species of swan worldwide and is the largest British bird Adult females weigh around 9kg with males around 11kg although weights of up to 15kg have been recorded The Male is known as a Cob the female as a Pen and the young as cygnets British Mute Swans are normally found in low lying areas and are fairly sedentary Movements of over 100 km being uncommon due to the general availability of food In some other countries they do migrate considerable distances in search of food during the winter months For many centuries Mute Swans in Britain were domesticated for food with individuals being marked by nicks on their webs feet or beak to indicate ownership These marks were registered with the Crown and a Royal Swanherd was appointed Any birds not so marked became Crown property hence the swan becoming known as the Royal Bird It is quite possible that this domestication saved the swan for being hunted to extinction in Britain The swans were rounded up at a swan upping and although they have not been kept as a food source since the beginning of this century the tradition is still practised by The Worshipful Companies of the Vintners and Dyers on the River Thames in London At Abbotsbury in Dorset there is a large colony of swans which has existed for 600 years with the swans being managed in a similar way as they have been for the last few centuries
Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: River Dee, Aberdeen, Scotland uk
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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