Swan, Black Necked (Cygnus melancoryphus)
Animal facts
Size
This species reaches lengths of between 45 and 55 inches, with the females being slightly smaller than males when fully grown. The wing span of these birds reaches around 70 inches.
Habitat and Distribution
This bird lives in and around the lakes, marshes, rivers and shores of much of South America.
Age
The average age of these birds in the wild is thought to be around 10 years, however in captivity they are known to live as old as 40.
Diet
The majority of their diet is made up of vegetation in the water, however they will also regularly eat insects and frog spawn.
Groups and Breeding
Females will lay around 6 eggs in a nest mound made of vegetation amongst reeds or along the edges of water bodies. Unlike many waterfowl both parents will often carry their cygnets on their backs while they are very young.
Threats
This species is not seen as threatened and is mostly fairly well protected in the wild. It lives and breeds in a large number of protected wetland areas in South America, many of which have been created as by products of earthquakes. However its most major threat (because it spends most of its time in water) comes from pollution, with water contamination from a pulp mill in Chile almost wiping out the entire population of a reserve there. Out of a population of 5,000 in 2004, scientists only found 4 live swans at Carlos Anwandter Wetland Sanctuary in 2005.
Interesting fact's
This is the largest species of water fowl in South America.