Mute swan close-up, stretching its wings and a pair of swans on water
Channel: Marty Calabrese
Date: 18/04/2022

Swans are large, feathered animals in the family Anatidae, sharing the genus Cygnus. Geese and ducks are closely related. The three swans you may encounter in Ohio are all white with black legs and feet. The smaller tundra swan has a black bill with an often undetectable yellow mark at the base. The titanic, yet elegant trumpeter swan has an all-black bill. Only the mute swan sports an orange bill. If you’re close enough, you’ll even notice a ball-like knob where beak meets face. The mute swan can weigh upwards of 30 pounds, but sits high in water. The body is quite buoyant! Its wings seem heavy, because when it makes its sloppy vulture-like liftoff from the water, the mute swan has incredibly loud and robust wing flaps. The animal rarely vocalizes, hence the common name.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) was developed to enforce federal protection of migratory birds. A few species, however, are excluded. There is one that you’re very familiar with, the rock dove or pigeon. Another of the exempt is the mute swan. Why?Through the latter part of the 1800s, nonnative swans were imported from Europe as decoration for large homesteads and city parks. Consequently, the mute swans we see today are descendants of these ornamental imports, rendering the species exempt from MBTA inclusion. Small populations have established in pockets throughout the United States and Great Lakes region. The mute swan is considered an invasive species. This is because the swan outcompetes native waterfowl for resources and lacks a healthy sum of natural predators. They are reported to be aggressive if you approach a nesting area during the active nesting season. However, their enormous size can make it easier to watch mute swans from a safe distance.

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Creator: Martin J. Calabrese
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