Black Australian Swans
Scientific Name: Cygnus atratus
Range: Watersheds of southern Australia
Habitat: Shallow waters of lakes and rivers, coastal areas and marshes (fresh or salt)
Natural Diet: Aquatic vegetation and small animals. Swans feed by dipping their heads underwater and pulling up vegetation.
Domestic Diet: Good grade laying pellets or special swan diet produced by Purina under their Mazuri zoo feed product line. They normally feed at dusk.
Physical Characteristics: Their body is primarily black with some white feathers on the wings. The bill is reddish-orange with a white band near the tip. Eyes are bright red. They adults weigh around 20 pounds.
Behavior: The black swan is monogamous. Should something happen to one of their mates, they will take on another mate at that time. They are non-migratory and will carry cygnets on back when in water.
Reproduction: Black swans usually lay an average of 5 eggs, but can lay as many as 7 and as few as 3. The eggs are light green in color. The incubation period for the black swan eggs is 32-36 days. The black male swan and female incubate and raise the young together. They will take turns setting the eggs. In the wild, the young black swans will stay with their parents for one year. After the black swans breed, they will molt and become flightless for a short period of time.
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