Whooper swan

The whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), is a large white bird which lives in Europe and Asia. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American trumpeter swan. Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithology of 1676 called this swan "the Elk, Hooper, or wild Swan".

 Description 

An adult whooper swan  weighs 9-11 kg. It is 140-160 cm long (including neck and head) and it has a wingspan of 205-235 cm. Young swans are grey-brown. They have a pink and black beak.Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus)  ARKive The young get pale grey in end of their first summer. They get the white adult colour before their second winter. Male and female swans look otherwise similar, but the males are larger.A Whooper Swan The Swan Sanctuary

The whooper swan, Bewick's swan and mute swan look quite similar, but the details are different.
Whooper swan is clearly larger than Bewick's swan. When it lands it water or takes off it slides longer distances. 


Mute swan, whooper swan, bewick swanthumb|100px|Whooper swan bill  thumb|100px|Whooper swan straight neck and short tail.thumb|100px|Mute swan: hump and orange bill  thumb|100px| Mute swan: curved neck and long tail.thumb|100px| Bewick swan bill  thumb|100px| Bewick swan short neck and horizontal tail.
 Behaviour 
Whooper swans eat mainly plants growing in water: leaves, stems and roots. During the winter they also eat grain and vegetables from the fields. Young birds often eat insects. 

The nest is a large pile of plant matter built on dry ground or on small islands near lakeshore.  The same nest mound may be used over many years although it is often repaired and new material is added.

 Distribution 
Whooper swans spends their summer in Northern Europe and Asia. For winter they migrate to coasts where sea does not freeze.

In year 2006 it was estimated, that there are more than 180,000 whooper swans in the world. Out of these, 10,000-100,000 pairs breed in Russia. Between one thousand and ten thousand birds also spend their winter there.Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus  BirdLife International

References

Category:Swans
Category:Birds of Europe
Category:Birds of Asia
Category:National symbols of Finland