Swans
There are eight species of swans in the world: the Eurasian Trumpeter Swan, the Lesser Swan Bewick subspecies, and the Mute Swan.
The North American Black-billed Swan and the Lesser Swan nominate subspecies.
The Australian Black Swan, the South American Black-necked Swan, and the Flat-billed Swan of the genus Mute.
The white colour of the swan's graceful body is often associated with adjectives such as beautiful, elegant, graceful, romantic and graceful.
Humans have an early knowledge of swans.
In ancient Greek mythology, the longitudinal-bellied little owl was the bird of Athena and the swan belonged to Apollo, the sun god.
An example is the great swan.
Also known as the Mute Swan and Swan, the Great Swan is a large wandering bird with a body length of 120-160 cm, a wingspan of 218-243 cm, a weight of 8-12 kg and a lifespan of 8 years.
The Greater Swan has snow-white plumage all over its body and is similar in size to the Mute Swan, but there are significant differences. The Greater Swan has a yellow and black bill, with only the head and base of the bill slightly brownish-yellow, and the end of the bill and feet black.
Its body is fat and plump, with the neck taking up the largest proportion of the body length of any bird, even exceeding the length of the body.
When swimming forward, the legs and feet are folded together to reduce resistance.
When the swan pushes backward, the flippers on its feet are all open, forming a surface that resembles an oar, alternately paddling the water as if it were on level ground.
It also often coats its feathers with oil secreted from the tail fat glands, which is used to repel water.
The beak of the Greater Swan is rich in tactile receptors, called Herb's microsomes, mainly inside the tips of the upper and lower beaks, with 27 per square millimeter on the edge of the upper beak alone, more than on a human finger.
The trumpeter swan was once an important hunting target due to its large size and white plumage.
Due to overhunting and the reclamation of wetlands, the population of trumpeter swans has been drastically reduced: the breeding population in Greenland is now extinct due to extensive hunting, and the breeding population in Iceland is only 5,000 to 6,000 individuals.
In nature, swans can live up to 20 years, and in captivity, they can live over 50 years.
Because of their heavy bodies, swans have to run forward for some distance on the water or on the ground when they take off.
The swans live together for life and are very responsible for their offspring.
To defend their nests, eggs, and chicks, they dare to fight to the death against foxes and other animals.
Swans maintain a rare "lifelong partnership" and winter in pairs (monogamous) in the south, whether feeding or resting.
The male stands guard while the female lays her eggs, and when she encounters an enemy, she flaps her wings and fights bravely against them.
Not only do they help each other during the breeding season, but they also live in pairs, and if one dies, the other "keeps the peace" for him and lives alone for the rest of his life.
Swan habits: The swan is a migratory winter bird that feeds mainly on the seeds, roots, leaves, and weeds of aquatic plants, and lives mainly in lakes, reservoirs, and ponds with many reeds.
Generally speaking, the mute swan is extremely adaptable.
It can sleep on the grass or float on the water for a long time, regardless of whether it is hot in the south or cold in the north, and does not need to build shelters.
Except for the breeding season, swans do not have a fixed home and often choose safe areas on the lake, bending their necks and holding their heads in their wings as they drift along with the water and sleep.