MUTE SWANs do not Read the various Books,
Websites or Articles Written about them.
I Hope this Topic Page will Help you Learn what Your Swans are Doing..
I Want to Start with these Images of a Swan
with a Leg and Foot Resting on his Back.
THIS is NORMAL.. He is just Relaxing.
To Enlarge Images – Right Click Image then Open in a New Tab.
I Frequently get Calls and EMails from VERY Worried People..
They are Concerned that a Swan’s Leg is Injured or Broken !!
Folks Seeing this Behavior for the First Time are Afraid their Swans or
Cygnets are Injured.. If you Observe this.. This is Perfectly Normal..
This Leg-Foot Position Also Aids Regulating their Body Temperature.
Foot Turned toward the Sun to Warm themselves during the Winter.
This will Allow Cooling on Hot Days.. as Water Evaporates from their Foot.
Watch the Swans for a While to be Sure. Just in Case there is a Problem.
The Black Australian Cob is Resting his Leg-Foot on his Back.. It is OK !
Swans will S t r e t c h their Legs at Times.. This is OK.. Must Feel Good.
OK ! ! Let’s S T R E T C H a Wing while Balancing on One Foot !
Flapping their Wings helps to Align all the Wing Feathers..
Flitting – Some Swans Flit their Wings..
Seems Different with Individual Swans.
Some do this when Drying their Wet Wings.
Some do this when they are Irritated.. Annoyed by Visitors..
Some just do this.. Unknown Reason.
Be Aware of these Normal Swan Behaviors.. All Species of Swans do this.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL WILDLIFE SERVICES.. to Report this BEHAVIOR.
Several Swans have been Destroyed when WildLife Agents Responded..
I am Including these Images of Angel Wing Deformities.. BECAUSE…
This is Another Time People Unfamiliar with Swans become VERY Concerned.
Angel Wings are NOT a Broken Wing.. More Information is at:
SWAN Angel Wing Deformity
https://swanlovers.net/category/swan-angel-wing-deformity/
BEFORE YOU SEEK HELP… BE SURE THERE IS A TRUE INJURY.
Send a Photo to Someone Familiar with WaterFowl.
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Working with Swans Year after Year, there are Some Common Behaviors.
The Good, the BAD and the OH NO… RUN ! ! – (Just Kidding)
Now for the MORE Fun Behaviors..
The Tail Wag.. … “Are They Happy to See Me ?
No… They are Cleaning their Bottom.. After Expelling Poop !
When Swans are Happy to See You.. Their Upper Necks Swell.. Puff-Up.
Swans will Watch for You , if you have a Routine Time that you will Visit them.
Nod YES – “Hello” when you First Make Eye Contact.. They Usually Nod Back.
And a BIG Happy Snort with their Head held High.. Is “HELLO.”
Swans will Frequently Greet Each Other.. With Swollen Upper Necks.
This is Expressing Happy Emotions.. It is a Joy to Watch Them.
It is Delightful to Watch our Swans Expressing they are Happy.
Our Sister Swans were Apart for Several Months..
They were SO Happy to be Together Again..
Their Greeting was Full of Happy Squealing, Head Turning and Swollen Necks.
In the Summer Months this is an Affectionate Greeting..
During the Winter Months it is more Courting Behavior as their
Reproductive Hormones are Increasing.. Soon Mating will Begin..
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When I was Editing these Photos… I Realized I had Snapped our Cob
Checking his Females for their Reproductive Hormones.. Status.
Were they Ready for Mating.. Over Time, I found more Examples.
Many Times I have Watched the Females Encourage the Cob to Mate.
They Up-End. Showing their Cloaca to the Male.. ??? Maybe Pheromones.
A Pheromone is a Secreted or Excreted Chemical Factor that Triggers
a Social Response in Members of the Same Species. – Wikipedia
Mating Season is about to Begin..
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Preening Together is Social Time.. Acceptance..
The Swan above is Scratching her Chin..
Happy Play Chasing can Happen ANY TIME !!
Happy Snorting can be a Greeting or “Thank You” when you bring Treats.
Mute Swans will Sing.. “Snorty-Grunting.”
Expelling Air Through the Nares.. Helps Clear Stuck Feathers.
Swans will not Need a Tissue.. Just BLOW and Go…
Bubbles – Bubbles – Bubbles
It is Common to See Swans Grazing on UnderWater Plants.
Swans DO NOT Dive when Grazing the Way some Ducks Do..
They Up-End and Stretch . . .
UP-Ending to Reach DOWN Under Water for Tasty Plant Treats.
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“Meadow” was Whistling, while Walking with Rob to Exercise his Leg..
In September-October there were Colorful Mums in our Flower Bed.
“Meadow” liked to Sit in them.. So Cute !
On Nice Winter Days, “Meadow” would go to the Same Spot, Sit and Snort.
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One Summer we were Invited to “Swan Sit” a Mature Pair of Swans
during a Family Wedding. To keep Everyone Safe – Guests and Swans.
There was a Lovely Instrumental Music Floating through the Air.
I Caught “Gracie” Twirling-Pirouettes in the Water..
She was Encouraging “George” to Join her. Nodding her Head to him.
After a Few Minutes even “George” did a Complete Twirl.
The Swans were Very Well Behaved that Day..
I Enjoyed our Time with them.
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It is Good to Watch the Subtle Behaviors..
Similar Movements.. Mean Different Things..
This Mature Cob is Holding his Beautiful Wings in Display.
“Handsome Fellow” was as Perfect a Mute Swan Cob as any we Know..
“Meadow” is the 2009 Male Off-Spring of
“Handsome Fellow” and “Sweet Harmony.”
Below..Our Cob “Meadow” is Happy to See Us..
He is Swimming over to Greet us.. Not in a Big Hurry.. Calm Water..
This is “Mellow “Meadow.”
Below “Meadow” is “Pushing Some Water” … Is this a Threat Warnings.. ??? Hum..
THIS is BUSKING. A Threat Behavior.. HE is “PUSHING WATER.”
BEWARE !
It is TIME to Give our Cob LOTs of Space !!!
This is an Annoyed Cob.. He Means Business !
When a Cob has his Head Down – Walking Fast – Wings Held Out a Bit…
GET OUT of his WAY ! ! !
This is a Good Time to have Some Type of Barrier.. ANYTHING Will Do !
It was ALWAYs Wise to have Something between Us and a Hormonal Cob..
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It was not often to see a Pen “Pushing Water.”
I Watched “Lizzie” to see what had her in such a Hurry..
She was Going to Chase One of her Cygnets AWAY from an UnSafe Place.
The Curious Cygnet knew his Dam meant Business. “GET OUT of THERE” !
Many of her Cygnets have been Taken by Snapping Turtle in their Ponds.
Very Few of “Lizzie’s” Cygnets Survived. So Sad.
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We would Visit this Young Pair of Male Swans about Once a Month..
They knew us.. and our Vegetable Treats.
Both would Come Out of the Pond for some Visit Time on the Lawn..
They Trust Us.. But will be Checking for Danger as we Visit..
They would BOTH Look Around Frequently to Check for Danger.
OOPs !! There was a Strange Noise Coming from a Nearby Field.
They Stopped Eating… And Started to Talk to Each Other..
We Watched the Boys Talk about what to Do.. Eat or Go Back to the Pond ?
They Agreed to Go Back to the Safety of their Pond.
If you Check these Images, you will See them Looking Left – Right – Repeat.
We NEED to Teach this Safe Behavior to our Young Childrens..
Many Swans do this Naturally.. Interesting to Watch them Communicate.
WE Still DO NOT Want the Swans to Cross Roads.
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Cobs will Position themselves to Protect their Female and Families.
The Cob will Position themselves Between Visitors and their Family..
And the Cobs will Sit behind their Female and Guard her as she Eats..
A Polite Male will Allow his Female to Eat First..
Our Cob is Protecting his Nesting Female.. He is DOING his Job..
It is Common to See the Male Swimming Behind his Female.
Swans will Swim with their Cygnets Between them.
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Swans are Sight Oriented. Recognize People, Clothing, Cars, Motor Vehicles.
When wearing Hats & Coats during Winter – Talk – Call Hello – “Nod” Hello.
Watching us Over their Shoulders.
It is Common for Swans to Float so we are Looking at their Backs..
They do this to Watch all Around – Wide Peripheral Vision.
They will Slowly Turn their Heads Side to Side..
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Swans are Curious Creatures.. They will Want to See what is Happening..
Swans will become VERY Worried about their Companion Swans..
If the Companion is being Checked or Removed from the Pond.
Here “Pippa” was Pacing Near “Harry” as his Feet were being Checked.
And a Small Under Tongue Impaction was Removed..
Check-up Finished… “Harry” made a Bee-Line Across the Pond..
Dear “Pippa” was VERY Happy. Her Neck REALLY Puffed-UP !!!
This Cob would “Strut” when we Visited him… He was Never Threatening.
The Young Cygnet is Scared.. He is Posturing-Stiff and Hissing.. “GO AWAY”
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Generally, Young Cygnets and Juvenile Swans will Welcome Immature Swans to their Pond..
They Easily Form Juvenile Groups, Protecting the NewComers.
They do Well Together until Around 24 Months Old..
Then Watch for Tension – Aggression. Time for Some ReHoming..
We Witnessed the Behavior Below at Least Twice.. A Swan Neck-Hugging.
Rob had his Camera READY This Time..
These Young Swan Cygnets had been Apart for Several Months.
When ALL had been Successfully Rehabbed for Various Medical Issues,
We were Able to Bring them to Live Together on a Real Farm Pond..
They were Very Happy to Be Together Again..
“Meadow” Neck-Hugged Both Sisters as they came up to his Preening Site.
I have had Other Swan Folks Reporting this Neck Twining – Hugging Behavior.
“Meadow” Hugged Both Sister Swans. He Accepted Both..
They formed a Threesome.. We were Very Lucky for 8 Years.
A Threesome is NOT a Normal Behavior for Mute Swans..
Normally a Breeding Mute Swan Pair is One Male and One Female..
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“George” was a Favorite Swan for us to Visit over the Years..
He was Everything a Mute Cob should be. He was “King” of his Pond.
“George” Patrols his Pond..
This Common Swan Behavior is Fun to Watch.
Watching the Swans – Usually the Cobs – Run and Flap Over the Water Surface.
“Wing – Tipping” must Feel Good !
“George” was Very Much Loved by his Family for 30 Years.
Time for Preening.
I Miss “George.” Lots of Memories that make me Smile..
“George” would Swim with us as we Walked along his Pond. (or Stalking)
During the Winter and Spring it was SERIOUS Stalking.. KEEP MOVING.
“George”
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During Colder Winter Months.. Snow and Ice can be Tolerated to a Point.
When there is a COLD Wind.. the Wind Chill Can Affect them.
Healthy Swans are WELL Insulated with Dense Down Close to their Body.
They can Sit on Snow and Ice by Pulling their Feet UP under their Wings.
If you SEE a Cygnet or ANY Swan SHIVERING…
– They NEED to be Sheltered from the Cold.
The Swan below is TOO HOT.. he is Heat Stressed..
TIME for Shade and Cool Water .
A Shady Spot and Cold Pool Water and this Cob was More Comfortable.
Kidde Pool Water OUT in the Summer Sun can get HOT ! !
Different Swans and Cygnets Enjoyed the Water Current While the Pool is Refilled.
The Black Australian Swans Liked to Dig in the Ground
and Put the Dirt in the Kidde Pools.
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Swans are Able to Walk on Snow and Ice to a Point.
When Air Temperatures are REALLY Cold.
Swans may be Reluctant to Walk on these Frigid Icy Surfaces
“Meadow” Spent many Months in Recovery at our Home.
He had a Nasty Snapping Turtle Bite at 4 Weeks of Age.
This will be the First Year the Swans will have Christmas Lights. (-;
We have Traveled many Miles over the Years with “Meadow.”
And we have had Help from Many, Many Kind and Loving People.
– Now Swan Friends.
Swans will Take Turns Pushing and Biting a Head of Lettuce.. A Pond Game.
There were Several Swans that would Walk (Maybe Stalk) as we Walked
Around the Pond Edge.
Several Weeks Later, with the Tragic Loss of her Sister..
“Victoria” was in Survival Mode.. and Afraid to Visit with Us..
Lone Swans Behave much Different then with a Companion.
A Lone Swan is a Lonely Swan
https://swanlovers.net/category/a-lone-swan-is-a-lonely-swan/
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Our Cob “Meadow” is a Mature Mute Male.
His Annual Behavior Goes from “Mellow” to “Macho.” Typical Cob.
This is NOT Aggressive Behavior.. It is Trust..
I have Spoken with Other Swan Folks that Mention their Cob Bites Boots..
There is a LOT of Trust between my Favorite Males..
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My Early Swan Visits were at SunRises along our Local River System.
I Noticed the Swan Watching the SunRises.. Really Watching the Sun Rise.
I Remember Wondering what she was think as another Day Alone began.
Literally, OUT of the Blue Sky One Afternoon a Mute Cob Found her !
Swans ALSO Watch the Sun Set..
I Wish I Could Learn What they are Thinking at the End of their Day.
The River Swans would Visit Until Early Twilight then Head Off to their
Safe Night Place.. We Never Learned where they Went..
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There is a Pair of Bonded Swans I Remember – BitterSweet Memories.
“Natasha” and “Boris”
“Natasha” was Gentle and Sweet – “Boris” – A True Mute Cob.
This Series was Taken on a Sunny Fall Day.. “Boris’s” Hormones were Low.
Watching them Share a Bowl of Salad Greens.. “Boris” was a Gentle Cob.
He Allowed “Natasha” to Eat First.. Then they Ate Side by Side.
“Boris” Adored “Natasha.” And she Adored him..
They were Muttering Quietly to Each Other.. Swan “Small Talk” I Guess..
Watching the Gentle, Loving Behavior between Bonded Pairs..
They are All Different.. It is Hard to Put into Words..
They were Lovely Dinner Guests.
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A Typical Behavior of Mute Swans is the Way they Carry their Heads.
Mute Swan Normally Swim with their Orange Beaks Pointing Downward.
I have to Smile when they are Sorta Swimming and Napping..
Swans Generally Sleep Very Lightly..
Nap Time – It is Common to See Swans Sleeping during the Day.
It is Common for One Swan to Watch while the Other Sleeps.
This is Trust….. Both are Sleeping.. I Think. Shhhh….
YEP ! One is Watching. Just in Case… Cute.
When Cygnets and Swans are Resting… their Feet and Legs do Too !!
Their Feet Look like Something is Wrong.. …All Folded & Twisty..
– NORMAL..!!!
I Notice Several Cygnets LOOKING Up in the Air.. Humm..
Then OFF in the Distance I Saw a Blimp.. Floating Quietly. They Saw it.
Swans are VERY Alert to ANY Hawk or Airplane Over their Heads..
As Prey they Need to be Watchful…
They are Aware of the Slightest Movement..
If there is Water Available..at Night.. Swans WANT to be IN IT !!!
At Night Swans become VERY Quiet.. Their Normal Vocals are Whispered.
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Images and Observations Gathered by Linda M.Sweger UpDated May 2021
This is a Work in Progress.. I will Add as I have more to Share.
The Image Series are Examples of Similar Behaviors Observed with Various Swans.
All Swans are Individuals.. All have their Own Personalities.
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” I WISH I Could Talk to them Five Minutes a Month.”
This is Normal – Their Leg and Foot are OK.
