Whooper Swan – Definition and Explanations

Introduction

Reign the animal Branch Chordates Class Aves Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae Subfamily Geese Genre CygnusIUCN conservation status:

LC : Minor concern

Whooper Swan
Classification (COI)
Nom binominal
Cygnus Cygnus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus) is a bird belonging to the Anatidae family.

Description

He measures between 140 and 165 cm. The heaviest bird can weigh 14 kilos. The plumage is entirely white, its bill yellow and black. The color of the beak distinguishes it from other swan species; the yellow is very extensive and only the tip of the beak is black unlike the tundra swan whose beak is mainly black. The distinction between the whooper swan and the Bewick’s swan is more delicate, the yellow on the beak of the Bewick’s swan being generally restricted to the nasal region. Birds feeding in ferruginous waters often have reddish tinged plumage.

Biology

Habitat

The Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus) nests mainly in the Arctic tundra (Russia, Scandinavia, Iceland) where it frequents bodies of water such as lakes or ponds. In France, it winters in small numbers in Alsace and Lorraine.

Populations

The population is estimated at 180,000 individuals.