Two mute swans (Cygnus Olor) on Lake Galway in Kinvara, Ireland
Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus Cygnus. The swans' close relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae. There are six or seven species of swan in the genus Cygnus; in addition there is another species known as the Coscoroba Swan, although this species is no longer considered one of the true swans. Swans usually mate for life, though 'divorce' does sometimes occur, particularly following nesting failure. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight. The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan, and thus a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Measuring 125 to 170 centimeters (49 to 67 in) in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange bill bordered with black. It is recognizable by its pronounced knob atop the bill.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Galway Bay, Kinvarra, County Galway, Province of Connacht, Republic of Ireland, Western Europe
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., 2, beak, bill, bird, birds, black, bordered, cobs, couple, cygnus, fauna, feathers, fish, fishing, flora, flying, food, horizontal, introduced, invasive, irish, kinvara, knob, mute, olor, orange, pen, pens, plumage, reflecting, reflection, rock, sea, seaweed, swan, swans, swimming, water, waterfowl, weed, white
