In addition, two pairs of our Trumpeter Swans have laid seven eggs and all seven pairs of our Coscoroba Swans have made nests. The only swan species which has never produced eggs for us is the Whistler Swan. Next year we will attempt to re-create the Whistler's native breeding conditions by using outdoor flood lights. Swans are beautiful birds which can be easily recognized by the features that make them so well adapted to their aquatic lifestyle. Virtually all of the species have long graceful necks which exceed the length of their torso and allow them to reach their primary food, aquatic vegetation.
Swans can feed at a depth unattainable to all other waterfowl except for the diving ducks.
Swans share behavioral characteristics with geese, such as their closely knit family life, and there is one species, the Coscoroba, formally classified in its own genus, that provides a link between swans and ducks. There has been much debate over the exact number of species of swans. Some species are clearly recognized and differentiated while others may be sub-species inhabiting separate geographies. This is the traditional garden swan which is all white and has a graceful, S-shaped neck. The Mute Swan is large and has a black frontal knob and orange bill and is known for its protective, somewhat aggressive behavior.