Cygnus atratus, commonly known as the black swan, is an aquatic bird of the family Anatidae, closely related to the best known swan, Cygnus olor. It is native to Australia, but since it is an important animal from the ornamental point of view, it has been imported into numerous parks all over the world, and today it is common to find big colonies in the wild, formed by individuals escaped from their wildlife centers.

Contrary to popular belief, even the black swan, like all other swans, does not eat fish; in fact, it is a completely vegetarian animal. His diet is mainly composed of algae, which is able to recover even from deep waters. Precisely for this reason, this swan finds its ideal habitat in lakes and basins characterized by brackish water, where the proliferation of algae is favored. Brackish water ecosystems, especially in Australia, easily disappear during the hot season, and groups of swans usually migrate in group in search of more suitable spaces.

From an ethological point of view, the black swan prefers to live in large colonies, sometimes mixing with other swan species; it is in fact a fairly sociable animal, albeit sometimes wary.

It is a monogamous species, although infidelity is not infrequent. Both parents take care of the offspring, starting from the construction of the nest (which is reused the following season) up to the actual breeding. Moreover, homosexual couples, mainly composed of two males, have been observed several times, and it is believed that this can happen in particular following the disappearance of the partner of the other sex during the breeding of the offspring.

Curiosity

In Australia, the black swan was hunted by the aborigines: due to its color it was identified as a demonic animal.

IUCN Red List

References

• Monaco Natura Encyclopedia. Cygnus atratus.

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