Swans are angelic creatures – they are full of grace, beauty, and, of course, mystery. They are the largest species of the ducks-goose family and we all know about them from various cartoons, and – naturally – the Swan Lake ballet by Tchaikovsky, the most popular ballet on planet Earth (it failed at first, though). People associate these beautiful birds with purity, emotional freedom and the kindness and goodness in everything. So, I think that’s enough reason for us to gather around today and check out some crazy facts about swans. Let’s see what we know about these creatures and whether they are that great or not!
– Despite the fact that white swans are dominant, there are also black swans that are native to Australia. As for the black-necked breed, they live in the South-American region. Overall, there are 6 different species of these birds.
– Crazy fact about swans: I bet you never knew that swans are one of the most faithful creatures on planet Earth and fidelity is not just a word for them. Say what? That’s right – they mate for life, which means they always stick together and never “cheat” on each other. Hey, can you say the same about any other living thing in the world?
– Still, even swans can’t handle it sometimes and “break up” from time to time, mainly due to a nesting failure or if the male or the female dies. In that case, life goes on and one of the swans moves on and mates with another partner.
– By the way, a female swan is known as a pen, while a male swan is called a cob. Pen and Cob – pretty awesome, right? These creatures begin breeding at a really early age – when they’re 3-4-years old.
– As for the eggs, they take 35 to 42 days to hatch. Generally, the number of eggs in every single clutch ranges from 3 to 8. Oh, and the baby swans are known as cygnets.
Crazy Facts About Swans – They Have Amazing Memory And Fly At 60 Miles Per Hour
– Crazy facts about swans: These creatures may be full of grace and usually swim around at very slow speeds, but they can fly pretty fast – up to 60MPH (miles per hour)!
– They say these birds are highly intelligent, even more so than the dolphins. For example, swans remember not only human faces but also the way they treat them – kindly or otherwise. So, don’t you dare to mistreat a swan – it will remember that!
– Another crazy fact about swans: Do you know that some people have a fear of swans? Well, they do, and it’s called cynophobia. Aha, that’s what’s up :).
– A pack of wild swans is called a herd. At the same time, a group of captive swans is known as a fleet. The military term “air fleet” describing fighter jets comes from swans.
– These creatures have over 25K feathers in their bodies. Can you imagine how long it would take to pull them all out?
– Fun fact about swans: An adult male swan is the ONLY bird in the world that has a…penis! I bet you never knew about that! The males are usually bigger and heavier than the females.
– Swans are one of the largest flying birds. The biggest ones can be as heavy as 15 kilograms and as long as 1.5 meters. As for the wingspan, it reached 3.1 meters. For example, the “friendly” geese are much smaller and have smaller feet and necks.
