Representatives of this species have the longest neck among all their relatives, a neat small head and a short, dense tail. The length and structure of the neck allow them to get food even from a great depth.

Social behavior

Birds are excellent fliers, so they are very mobile, despite the sedentary lifestyle. They easily move in drought to non-dry water bodies. Black swans can live in large colonies and this is different from any other species. Often the colony has up to 50 pairs. They are quite tolerant of their neighbors and rarely show aggression.

Reproduction

They usually have  no more than seven eggs in a clutch. The incubation period is one and a half months. Both male and female incubate the eggs. The first two days the chicks stay in the nest.

On the third day, they follow their parents in search of food, and spend most of their time on the water. On the wing, the young begin to rise after the first adult molt — in four to five months, and remain with their parents until the next breeding season.

Species and people

With the discovery and settlement of the continent, birds began to be actively exterminated: they were hunted everywhere because of the beautiful feather, down and meat. This led to the fact that the number was greatly reduced. At the beginning of the last century, the governments of Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand concluded a treaty under which this species is taken under protection. Now protection has led to a rapid increase in the number of swans. Today, the black swan is not threatened with extinction. 

Interesting Facts

There are many interesting facts and legends associated with black swans. One of them says that these birds are inhabited by the souls of deceased ancestors wandering in the sky.

The color of the swan also plays an important role in the legends of Aboriginal peoples: black symbolizes various mysteries, death, the afterlife and intuition.