Whooper Swans mingle with other wildfowl in Winter on a small water pool on frozen Loch of Harray Orkney Mainland
The Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan. The Whooper Swan is similar in appearance to the Bewick's Swan. However, it is larger, at a length of 140-160 cm (55-63 in), a wingspan of 205-275 cm (81-110 in) and a weight range of 8–20 kg ( lbs). It has a more angular head shape and a more variable bill pattern that always shows more yellow than black (Bewick's Swans have more black than yellow). Whooper swans require large areas of water to live in, especially when they are still growing, because their body weight cannot be supported by their legs for extended periods of time. The whooper swan spends much of its time swimming, straining the water for food, or eating plants that grow on the bottom The swans traditionally wintered on lakes, estuaries, marshes and floodplains, where they fed on aquatic vegetation, but use of agricultural land has become far more frequent since the 1960s. Waterbodies remain important as roost sites, but the swans now feed mainly on farmland (on pasture, cereal stubble and root crops) during the winter months. Lives on wetland habitats in the breeding season, mainly on lakes, marshes and coastal bays, at altitudes ranging from sea level at coastal sites to 700m in the Icelandic highlands.
Size: 5620px × 3733px
Location: Loch of Harray Mainland Orkney Highland Scotland
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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