Black Swan - A Bird of Rare Beauty in Nature

The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is endemic to Australia, possessing mysterious velvet black feathers, a luxurious demeanor and is very loyal.

The black swan (scientific name Cygnus atratus) is one of the rarest and most unique ornamental birds in the world. Possessing a mysterious black velvet coat, a graceful S-shaped neck and a bright red beak have created an extremely perfect appearance. In addition, the black swan also symbolizes faithful love and is the national bird in some countries such as Australia.

If you want to learn what a black swan is? or want to know more about the habits, behavior as well as notes when raising this bird, do not miss the article below by nicebirds !

Information about black swan :

Origin of the black swan

The black swan is an endemic species found only in the wild in Australia.

The black swan has the scientific name Cygnus atratus, a bird of the goose order, duck family, is endemic to Australia, distributed mainly in Western Australia (the capital of black swans), Southeast Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. It often lives in freshwater lakes, swamps, rivers or quiet coastlines with rich aquatic vegetation.

Black swans were introduced to New Zealand, Europe and North America, mainly as pets in parks or zoos, with few sustainable wild populations.

The black swan is a bird that has many meanings to Australia. In Western Australia, this bird also appears on the state coat of arms, state flag and on the logos of many local organizations here.

Currently, black swans have been domesticated and raised as pets in some Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and China.

The name “Atratus” in Latin means “clothed in mourning” - referring to the jet-black plumage of this swan species.

Black Swan Appearance

The beautiful, impressive appearance of a black swan.

The black swan is one of the rare and outstanding water birds in the world with mysterious velvet black feathers and a more luxurious demeanor than ever. Let's learn more about the appearance of this black swan!

• Length: 110 - 145 cm
• Wingspan : 1.6 - 2 m
• Weight : Male 6 - 9kg, female 4 - 7kg.
• Color : The whole body is a characteristic velvety black color, the feathers and wings have white edges (only visible when spreading or flapping the wings).
• Neck hair : Slightly curly, long and looks very elegant.
• Beak : Bright red with white border at tip.
• Eyes : Round, black pupils, reddish brown, orange-red irises, looks extremely sharp.
• Neck : Long, curved in an S-shape, typical of a white swan.
• Gait : Waddling, clumsy due to legs being far apart.
• Swimming style : Graceful, gentle, neck stretched high, straight posture looks very elegant.
• Young black swan : Has light gray or gray-brown feathers, soft, smooth, dark gray beak.

Black swan behavior

A pair of swans are swimming side by side.

Black swans are considered to be intelligent, gentle, expressive and absolutely loyal birds. Let's learn more about their typical habits below!

Lifelong commitment

Black swans are famous for their loyalty, once they pair up they will stay together for life. They build nests, care for their young, swim side by side and even “show off” their affection through actions such as touching beaks and bending their necks to form a heart.

And if one male or one female dies, the remaining one will often choose to live alone for a long time, or even not pair up again.

Gentle, calm

Black swans are gentle in temperament, rarely causing trouble with other species or showing aggression unless threatened first. Although they have clearly divided living areas, they can still live peacefully in small groups.

In the wild they can live in harmony with ducks, geese and even other fish species.

Is an aquatic herbivore

The main food of black swans is aquatic plants such as algae, seaweed, moss or young leaves, soft roots,... They are mainly active during the day and spend all their time swimming, foraging and resting.

Quite intelligent & easy to tame

Black swans are quite intelligent waterfowl, they can recognize and react to the voices of familiar people in semi-natural conditions.

They are also easier to tame and better coordinated than mute swans. Some behaviors can be trained, such as following people or swimming into the cage at night, etc.

Able to fly far

Although black swans have large bodies weighing up to 8 - 9 kg, they are still capable of flying long distances if necessary.

And in the wild, they can also move seasonally to areas with more stable water. However, this is not a long-distance migration phenomenon like the mute swan.

Notes when raising black swans

A flock of black swans are kept in a semi-natural pond.

Nowadays, the demand for raising black swans as pets is increasing, especially in garden villas, resorts, eco-zones, etc. However, to successfully raise a healthy, long-lived black swan with good reproductive ability and "show off" all of its natural beauty, you need to pay attention to some of the following important things.

The living environment must have water and be spacious.

Black swans require a large habitat with water (natural or artificial) covering 60-70% or more of their habitat. The water must meet the following criteria:

• Lake depth from 50 - 70 cm or more
• There is rich aquatic vegetation such as seaweed, duckweed or water spinach.
• The lake shore is gentle so that swans can move up and down easily.
• A pair of black swans should have an area of ​​30 - 50 m2 to live comfortably.

Avoid extreme temperatures

Black swans can tolerate cold and heat quite well, but for them to develop optimally, their living environment needs to meet the following requirements:

• Avoid wind, avoid dew
• Need to be shaded in summer, avoid harsh sunlight
• Ideal temperature from 18 - 28 degrees Celsius.

Provide a varied diet

As shared, black swans mainly eat plants, so during captivity, you can feed them some of the following foods:

• Main foods : Water spinach, mustard greens, potato leaves, duckweed, seaweed,...
• Food supplements : Corn, rice, pellets, digestive enzymes, vitamin B,...
• Limited food : Do not feed too much starch such as rice and cakes to avoid obesity.

Clean and treat the lake regularly

Because black swans spend most of their time swimming around in the lake, you need to pay attention to cleaning and treating the water in the lake. Specifically as follows:

• Change water periodically 1 - 2 weeks/1 time if raised in an artificial lake.

• Regularly clean up trash, rotten leaves or bird droppings that settle at the bottom to help keep the water clean and clear.

• Cleaner fish such as grass carp can be kept to help clean the pond naturally.

Notes when raising black swans for breeding

If you are raising black swans for breeding, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• The black swan breeding season typically occurs from late fall through early winter.

• Swans should be raised separately to avoid nest destruction, crowding, etc.

• Arrange a dry area with lots of dry grass, dry straw, and soft dry leaves for the black swan to nest.

Black Swan Price List

Currently, black swans are sold on the Vietnamese market at quite high prices, up to tens of millions of VND for one. If you want to learn more, please refer to the following price list:

Note when buying black swan :

• You should buy them in pairs because swans usually live in pairs. Keeping them alone will make them feel sad and stressed.
• Choose to buy black swans from reputable farms to ensure origin and quality.
• Consider carefully before raising black swans because they need a large space, clean water ponds and are quite expensive.

Interesting facts about black swans

Here are some interesting facts about black swans that not everyone tells you. What are you waiting for? Find out now!

• The black swan is the state bird of Western Australia, where it appears on the coat of arms, state flag and even state license plates.
• Black swans can fly at speeds of up to 60 km/h.
• Black swans are capable of building very elaborate and meticulous nests, which can be up to 1 meter in size.
• In Western culture, “Black Swan” is often used to refer to rare or unexpected events, because they previously thought that only white swans existed until the discovery of black swans in Australia.
• In the financial and economic world, the black swan theory is a concept used to refer to unpredictable phenomena that cause serious consequences for the global economy and stocks.

Beautiful, mysterious black swan image

Please enjoy the collection of unique and beautiful black swan images below to understand why this bird is so highly valued in the high-end bird market.

The perfect beauty of a black swan.

Black and white swans are swimming happily at Thien Quang Lake - Hanoi.

Two black swans form a beautiful heart shape.

A black swan is walking on land.

Image of black swan swimming on a calm lake.

A baby swan is "sitting" on the back of its mother swan.

Image of mother black swan and her baby black swans swimming together.

A family of black swans swimming together.

Image of a black swan standing out among a flock of white swans.

Thus, above nicebirds.net has shared detailed information about the black swan - a bird that possesses both proud beauty and is the national bird of some countries in Australia. Although they are not very popular in the bird market, they still receive the attention and love of many people.

If you want to learn more about many other beautiful and unique birds, please visit our Blog section regularly so you don't miss any interesting articles!