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Location: Lindo Lake, Lakeside, CA
Date: 2005-03-06
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Date: 2005-03-06
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
DescriptionI do not know how this native Australian bird arrived here. Ironically, this bird is non-migratory. This bird feeds entirely on aquatic vegetation, which it forages for at dusk. This is the worlds only entirely black swan. Black Swans are the least territorial of all the swan species.
All black plumage. Orange-red bill with white band near the tip. Bright red eyes. White distal secondaries and primary wing feathers. Gray legs and feet. Immature birds are dull brown with a dark bill.
Lakes and rivers. (Australia and New Zealand)
Nesting5-6 greenish-white eggs with a 29-36 day incubation period. Cygnets remain with their parents for one year. The nest is a large mound of grasses and weeds, built near the waters edge. Nests in colonies.
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