Description
Black Necked Swans
The Black-necked Swan is the largest waterfowl native to South America. They spend much of their time on the water as they are poor at walking due to their legs being set far back on their bodies. This makes it difficult for them to get airbourne but they are strong fliers. Like the Mute Swan, they are quiet birds.
Size
– Typical Adult is 115-140cm (45-55in).
Food
Mainly aquatic plants, insects, and fish spawn.
Habitat/Range
Wetlands, marshes, lagoons, and shallow lakes in southern South America – Chilean Southern Zone, Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and on the Falkland Islands. In the austral winter, this species migrates northwards to northern Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.
Breeding
July to August, and August to mid-September further south in the Falkland Islands.
Eggs
4 to 6 (creamy-white colour).
Habitat
These swans are found on a variety of wetlands, from shallow lakes, coastal lagoons to harbours and swampy river basins, often in close proximity to humans on the continent, but on the Falkland Islands are fairly shy (Woods & Woods 1997). They prefer areas of high water levels to feed and fair amounts of vegetation and pondweed.
Protection
CITES appendix II
IUCN Red List Assessment
Least Concern (LC)
Threats
Human hunting for sport and food. Used in Jewellery and handicrafts. Taken for pets and animal displays (BirdLife International 2012).
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