Whooper swan

The whooper swan has a dense, downy plumage under the outer cover feathers as heat protection. That the feathers are not soaked with water, he uses a special gland on the body, the so-called rupture gland. It secretes an oily, water-repellent fluid. Swans need their long necks to look for food at the bottom of the water. Whooper swans breed from northern Scandinavia to Arctic Siberia and overwinter on northern European coasts.

Species name: Whooper Swan
Scientific name: Cygnus cygnus
Class: birds
Order: geese birds
Family: duck birds
Weight: approx. 7 - 12 kg
Characteristics: About the size of the mute swan, but slimmer and without a beak, its calls sound trumpetingly melodic
Life expectancy: about 8 years
Enemies: Fox, Eagle
Breeding season: April - June

Did you know, that ...
whooper swans fly quietly in contrast to mute swans?