The Black Swan is the only entirely black-coloured swan in the world.
Adults have a black body and neck with white wing tips, black legs and a red bill with white bar near tip. Male carries head higher than female in mated pair and has darker bill and iris. Juveniles are lighter in colour and cygnets have grey-brown plumage.
body length 110 - 140 cm; wingspan 160 - 200 cm
Musical fluting, trumpeting heard during nocturnal flight. Aggressive hissing.
Mainly algae and weeds, plunging neck up to 1m deep. Occasional grazing on land.
Monogamous pairing for life. Nesting on large mounds which are re-used each year. One brood per season with 4-7 greenish white eggs.
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Courting/Mating (Monogamous mating pairs, possibility of homosexual pairs with a female surrogate in a threesome)
Calling
Feeding
Chicks
Bird on eggs
Bird on nest
Nest building
Keep an eye out year round. Breeds April - October in the south, March - May in Northeast Queensland but can breed any month after suitable rain.
In poor lighting and at distance, the Black Swan may be confused with a Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) in flight. However, the Black Swan has a much longer neck and slower wing beat. On the ground, the Magpie Goose is white on the rump, belly, mantle and upper wings where the Black Swan would be black.
