Swan

A **swan** (*Cygnini*) is a kynd o watter bird, frae the genus *Cygnus* an *Coscoroba*. Thay belang the subfaimilie Anserinae, in the Anatidae familie that geese an deuks is a pairt o an aa.

A lot o swans bides in caulder airts, like northren Europe, Asia an North Americae. Thay lieve on watter. Thay soum on tap o the watter and eat plants aff the bottom o pownds, lochs, or oceans. Forby, swans eats insects an ither beasties. A babby swan is cryed a cygnet.

Swans is teuch, strang birds. Thay micht open thair wings as a warnin, but frae than on a bodie is advised tae haud weel awa frae thaim. Swans is gey protective o thair nests. They will set at ocht thay see as a threit tae thair chicks, even humans.

## Etymology and terminology
The Scots wird *swan*, relatit til the German *Schwan*, Dutch *zwaan* an Swaidish *svan*, comes frae a Indo-European ruit **swen* (tae soond, tae sing). Yung swans is caaed *cygnets* or *swanlings*; the first ane comes frae Auld French *cigne* or *cisne* (diminutive suffix -*et* "wee") frae the Laitin wird *cygnus*, a form o *cycnus* "swan", an that comes frae the Greek  *kýknos*, a wird wi the same meanin.

## Description
Swans is some o the biggest fleein birds. Thay ar big and thay hae big feet an lang necks. The males is mair bigger an wechtie nor females for ordinar. The mute swan, trumpeter swan, an houper swan is the biggest swans. Thay can be bigger nor 1.5m (60 inch) lang. Thay'r wecht can be abuin 15kg (33 pund). The lenth o baith thair wings thegither can be near 3m (10 fit).

Maist swans is white. Thay ar fund in the Northren Hemisphere (Europe, Asia and North Americae). Houaniver, the black swan is black wi a reid neb that bides in Australie. The swans wi black hauses haes white flicht feathers, and black ooter feathers. Thae anes bides in Sooth Americae. Forby, thay hae a bit skin atween the een an neb that haesna nae feathers. This bit can be different colors, like yellae (like on a Bewick's swan) or orange (like on a mute swan).

Wild swans flits. Thay eat an fatten thairsels in ae bit in the cauld pairt o the year an flit til a mair warmer place for tae lay eggs an raise chicks, caaed cygnets.

The coscoroba swan isna the same as the ither anes. Some scientists thinks it is mair like a deuk or a guiss. It isna sae big as the ither swans. This swan bides in Sooth Americae.

## Climate cheenge
Bewick's swans spent a lot o time in Ireland, Britain an the Netherlands in the bygaen, but scientists says that thay hae been muvin east intil Germany. Thay dinna spend as muckle time in thair winter feedin grunds as thay did in 1970. Scientists says thay ar follaein the chynges in temperatur in Europe. The scientists fund that individual swans disna chynge whaur thay like gaun til in thair ain lifetimes. Insteid, different generations o swans gangs awa til different places frae the anes thair paurents an grandpaurents gaed til.

## Taxonomy

* Genus *Cygnus*
** Black swan (*Cygnus atratus*)
*** New Zealand swan (*Cygnus atratus sumnerensis*) *dee'd oot*
** Trumpeter swan (*Cygnus buccinator*)
** Bewick's swan (*Cygnus bewickii*)
** Whistlin swan (*Cygnus columbianus*)
** Houper (*Cygnus cygnus*)
** Black-hause swan (*Cygnus melancoryphus*)
** Mute swan (*Cygnus olor*)
* Genus *Coscoroba*

## References