May 2000 - Vol. They are associated with the postcard-perfect images of the River Thames and Lake Geneva. But some wildlife biologists worry that the native of Eurasia doesn't make such a perfect match with the Chesapeake Bay.
Recent surveys show their population is skyrocketing.
Biologists fear the mute swan is competing for food and habitat with native waterfowl, such as the tundra swan, and that large flocks of mutes are scaring other birds away. Mute swans, which are an invasive species introduced here from Eurasia, have been observed pushing the smaller, native tundra swans out of prime loafing areas. In the mid-1990s, a large molting flock of more than 600 mute swans overran a colony of least terns and black skimmers on Barren Island. Both birds, listed as threatened species in Maryland, fled. He and others fear conflicts could escalate if the population continues to grow.