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Black Swan

Adults have a black body and neck with white wing tips, black legs and a red bill with white bar near tip. Male carries head higher than female in mated pair and has darker bill and iris. Juveniles are lighter in colour and cygnets have grey-brown plumage.

Size

body length 110 - 140 cm; wingspan 160 - 200 cm

Behaviour

Call

Musical fluting, trumpeting heard during nocturnal flight. Aggressive hissing.

Diet

Mainly algae and weeds, plunging neck up to 1m deep. Occasional grazing on land.

Breeding

Monogamous pairing for life. Nesting on large mounds which are re-used each year. One brood per season with 4-7 greenish white eggs.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Birds
  • Species origin: Native
  • Conservation status: Common
  • Did You Know?

  • The Black Swan is the only entirely black-coloured swan in the world.

  • What to Observe

    • Courting/Mating (Monogamous mating pairs, possibility of homosexual pairs with a female surrogate in a threesome)

    • Calling

    • Feeding

    • Chicks

    • Bird on eggs

    • Bird on nest

    • Nest building

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    Keep an eye out year round. Breeds April - October in the south, March - May in Northeast Queensland but can breed any month after suitable rain.

    Where To Look

    • Throughout Australia in large expanses of fresh and brackish waters with abundant aquatic vegetation
    • Also found in exposed mudflats, flooded pasture and crop lands, ornamental lakes, permanent wetlands
    • Requires 40m clearance to take off
    • Outside breeding season will travel large distances, flying mostly by night

  • Similar Species

    In poor lighting and at distance, the Black Swan may be confused with a Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) in flight. However, the Black Swan has a much longer neck and slower wing beat. On the ground, the Magpie Goose is white on the rump, belly, mantle and upper wings where the Black Swan would be black.

     
  • Trails: Bellarine Peninsula - Barwon Coast & Ocean Grove Nature Reserve VIC, Bendigo Kennington Reservoir VIC, Bournda EEC NSW, Cumberland Land Conservancy Wallaroo NSW, Cumberland Land Conservancy Wombat NSW, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens QLD, Killalea State Park NSW, Kings Billabong Mildura VIC, Lakewood Nature Reserve Wantirna South VIC, Monash University VIC, Reedy Swamp Shepparton VIC, Rocky Creek Dam NSW, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne VIC, Serendip Sanctuary VIC, Tyrendarra IPA VIC, University of Western Australia WA, Yarra River Main Yarra Trail opp Darling Gardens VIC, Valley Lake SA
  • Species Region: Australia