The impossible bird
In Europe, a black swan once meant something that could not exist. Then explorers reached Australia.
The billabong
Black swan
Cygnus atratus
A black swan with a long neck, a red beak and white wing-tips that show when it flies.
- Size
- Wingspan up to 2m
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Lakes, rivers and estuaries, mainly in southern Australia
Glides after you across the water. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Black swan
Good to know
Six things about the black swan
The longest neck
It has the longest neck, for its size, of any swan, with which it reaches plants deep down.
Hidden white
The white flight feathers are hidden when it swims, and flash out when it takes off.
Sharing the work
Both parents build the nest, sit on the eggs and look after the cygnets.
A bugle call
It makes a musical, bugling sound, unlike the mostly silent mute swan.
A state emblem
The black swan is the emblem of Western Australia, and is on its flag.
The real thing
Photos of the black swan
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Black swans are easy to see on city lakes in Perth, Melbourne and Canberra. A few live wild in Britain too, escaped from collections.
How to help
Feeding bread to swans does them no good. If you feed water birds, use greens, oats or proper swan food.