Do you know who is a cousin of geese? And which bird is inspired with a heart shape?
That is a swan.
Does swan really mate for life? Yes, swans like to mate for life and they are likely to get separated if their mate dies. Swans find their mate at the age of 2 years but breed only when they are 3 years old.
Swans belong to the family of ducks and geese that is Anatidae but they are the largest birds. Swans swim and fly unbelievably fast.
Table of Contents
Swan Facts, Diet, Habitat
Do you call a female swan Hen? If yes then you’re wrong. A female swan is called a Pen. A male swan is called a Cob, while a baby swan is called a Cygnet. Let’s find out more amazing swan stuff:
- Swans fly well and cross 60 miles per hour.
- Swan eggs take longer to hatch than the geese eggs, swan eggs are hatched in about 35 to 42 days.
- Don’t irritate swans because they remember who is kind and who isn’t kind to them.
- There are only six to seven different species of swan so you can easily remember them all.
- Swans generally live a long life which can even be up to 20 years.
- Swans are the largest in the waterfowl family and not only this but they are also the largest flying birds ever.
Swan Mating Behavior
If you have ever encountered swans mating then trust me you have witnessed one of the most majestic scenes in the world. Swans are one of the most beautiful birds but their mating is beyond that. Their mating includes a heart shape formation where both the swans face each other and raise their wings. Swans are likely to mate in the water.
Swans can even create bonds before reaching maturity. The male swan also helps the female in making a nest which is near clean water with few disturbances. If two swans like each other then they will start off with the head bobbing. Both the swans will first dip and then take their heads out of the water and with time these steps will be synchronized. In the end, both the swans will face each other chest to chest.
Swan Mating Sounds
Swans do make sounds when mating. When two swans meet, the male produces a short but snoring sound while the female swan produces a glock sound.
Want to know something interesting? even mute swans make noises like hissing and snorting which are major because of any threat they are facing.
Black swans make a Buggle like sound when mating as well as crooning sound. Believe it or not, black swans also whistle if they are disturbed when they are breeding.
On the other hand, a trumpeter swan has a voice that has a low pitch and this is why it is named so.
Do Swans Breed Throughout Their Lives
Of course, once swans choose their partner for life then they stay with it throughout life, the only exception to this is if a mate dies. They can also be separated through a divorce but that is rare at a very low rate. Once a swan pair is made with choice, they breed every year.
A swan can sometimes change its partner if it faces difficulty in nesting or breeding season.
Newly-made couples often get to raise fewer baby swans but later it all becomes normal.
If you ever come across a cheating swan then it must possibly be a female Australian black swan and her male sometimes unintentionally raises the other cob’s offsprings.
How Do Swan Mate
Their mating is very much similar to the duck mating. With the arrival of breeding season, male and female swans will lower their wings to an extreme and come closer side by side. Then both of them will dip their heads inside the water and take the heads out again and start to preen themselves. This step will be repeated over and over but faster each time.
All of a sudden, one of the swans will stop dipping its head and will raise its neck to the vertical position and watch the steps of its mate. After some time, their heads’ dip and raise action will be synchronized so it will look like that they are acting in unison. Later, both will press their chests together and maintain eye contact and one swan will drape its head over the others.
Do White Swans Mate For Life
Why not? Swans are monogamous and keep their promise of staying together but there are a few exceptions. Firstly, even white swans are likely to find a new mate if they are widows. Secondly, if they have any nesting problem with the current mate.
Do All Swans Mate For Life
Yes, but black Australia female swans are reported to cheat with their mates and the mate unknowingly raises the offspring belonging to the other male swan.
Besides, all swans mate for life unless death departs them from the love of their life.
Do Mute Swans Mate For Life
Yes, mute swans also believe in pairing up for life and this is why they follow a monogamous lifestyle unlike ducks that are seasonally monogamous.
Do Tundra Swans Mate For Life
Yes, tundra swans even form their pair one year prior to the breeding season and stay together forever. They are also known for scaring away even the fox to protect themselves.
Do Trumpeter Swans Mate For Life
Trumpeter swans are also monogamous but that’s not it. Some of the male trumpeter swans that lost their mate never tried mating again which speaks out for their loyalty for the partner.
Do Black Swans Mate For Life
Black swans are famous for having beautiful feathers which they also use for attracting a partner. These swans are also monogamous. However, it would not be difficult for them to allure another mate using the feathers.
Do Swans Cheat
Yes, female Australian black swans are most likely to cheat and introduce sexually transmitted diseases. They can also make their mates raise the baby swans from another male swan.
Swan Mating Season
Mostly, swans find themselves mate during winter and in April through July they are busy with nesting activities.
However, Mute swans are known to mate anytime from spring to summer.
Editor Tips: Do mallard ducks mate for life? Read it must, if you want to know more about mallard ducks.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, now you have an understanding of doing swans really mate for life or not. Swans are the largest birds in the waterfowl family and heaviest birds to fly. They are herbivores and use their long necks to eat aquatic plants by dipping their dead to the bottom of the water.
They also eat frogs and fish. Swans form their nests on the ground and lay about 3 to 9 eggs. They have less threat from predators. If you find this article helpful then share it in your friend circle. You can read our buyers guide the best choke for duck hunting.
