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What do black swans eat?

By On May 13, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Black swans are almost entirely vegetarian.  They feed mainly on algae and submerged weeds, which they pull up by ‘updending’ – tipping forward and reaching their long necks down below the surface, their bottoms in the air and their legs comically waggling in the air.  In shallower water black swans are able to dabble – filter-feeding at the water’s surface, or dip its head to feed on plants just under the water’s surface.  When conditions are good it is also common to see black swans grazing on pasture on shore.

Four swans ‘upending’ to reach for submerged aquatic plants

Posted in: Black swans

 
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Did you know?

An adult male swan is called a cob (from Middle English cobbe (leader of a group). An adult female swan is called a pen, and baby swans are called cygnets (from the Latin word cygnus ("swan") and the Old French suffix -et ("little").
2015-05-11T02:20:03+00:00
An adult male swan is called a cob (from Middle English cobbe (leader of a group). An adult female swan is called a pen, and baby swans are called cygnets (from the Latin word cygnus ("swan") and the Old French suffix -et ("little").

The Black Swan is protected under the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974. It is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
2015-05-11T02:23:39+00:00
The Black Swan is protected under the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974. It is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

A colony of Black Swans in Dawlish, Devon has become so well associated with the town that the bird has been the town's emblem for
2015-05-11T02:23:29+00:00
A colony of Black Swans in Dawlish, Devon has become so well associated with the town that the bird has been the town's emblem for

The current global population of black swans is estimated to be up to 500,000 individuals.
2015-05-11T02:23:19+00:00
The current global population of black swans is estimated to be up to 500,000 individuals.

Black swans occur over large parts of Australia, with estimates of their range varying from 1 to 10 million square kilometers.
2015-05-11T02:23:10+00:00
Black swans occur over large parts of Australia, with estimates of their range varying from 1 to 10 million square kilometers.