ROYAL MUTE SWANS
ROYAL MUTE SWANs.. Cygnus olor
The Graceful, Elegant Waterfowl of the European Royalty..
Click Images to Enlarge
Mature Royal Mute Swans have Deep Orange-Red Beaks,
Dark Grey to Almost Black Legs and Webbed Feet..
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Royal Mute Cygnets have Smoky Grey Down when they Hatch.
Their Beaks, Legs and Feet are almost Black..
The Darker Colors help them Blend into the Water
Environment they Typically Live on..
The Dark Color may Help Protect a few Tiny Fuzzy Cygnets from the Aerial Predators..
The Creamy White Polish Cygnets are Easy to See.
The Images Below are a Chronology Series of their Growth..
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Within Less the 24 Hours the Healthy Cygnets are Ready to Swim.
Both Parents Check that their Cygnet is WaterProofed.
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Each Day the Cygnets will Spend more Time on the Water.
They Also will have Several Time to Rest and Nap.. So Cute.
When the Parents feel they no Longer need the Nest.. They Leave.
Life for these Tiny Swan Cygnets will be Full of Adventures..
and Perils.
Swan Cygnets are “Precocial.”
Precocial refers to Bird Species in which the Young are Relatively Mature and Mobile
from the Moment of Hatching.
They are “The “Ugly Duckling” of Danish Author,
Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Story.I Think they are So VERY Cute !
Some Cygnets need to be Hand Raised to have a Chance to Survive. The Swans are EASIER to Care for when they are on their Water.
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Cute Little Black Feet and Beaks.. Royals.
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Swan Cygnets GROW So Fast.. Visually Changing Every Day.
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Each Little Cygnet has their Own Personality.
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It is Time for True Feathers to Start Emerging. And some Funny Looks.
So Cute…
A Mix of Down and Emerging True Feathers.
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YEP ! There are Tiny Wing Feathers Coming in..
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If Cygnets Survive the Perils of Summer to 13 Weeks,
They have a Reasonable Chance to Grow to be Adults.
Living on Open Water with their Parent is Best for them.
Their Parents are Teaching them from the Day they Hatch.
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Swan Cygnets that are Hand Raised have Many Instincts that are Common to all of their Kind.
Innate Behaviors do not have to be Learned or Practiced.
It is Time to Start Looking for New Homes for the Cygnets.
Look at the Feather Change in 20 Days..
They “Feathered Out” and Ever SO Cute !
During their First Winter the New White Feathers blend with their
Beige Grey-Brown Feather – They Look like Dirty Snow.
Good Camouflage..
9 Months Old. His Parent will Start to Chase him off in Later Winter.
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12 Months – One Year Old – Now a Juvenile.
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She is about 5 Years Old.
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This Mute Cob lived to be 30 Years Old. Miss Him.
“Life itself is the Most Wonderful Fairy Tale.” -Hans Christian Andersen
Photo Images Compiled by L.M.Sweger . . . UpDated May 2021