Matched Pairs of Swans
Mute Swan (scientific name: Aix galericulata): 'Mute' refers to the male bird, 'swans' refers to the female bird, so 'Mute Swan' is a synthetic word. Belonging to the order of geese, it is a medium-sized duck, with a size between the Green-headed duck and the Winged duck. The body length is 38-45 cm and the weight is about 0.5 kg. The male and female are dichromatic, the male bird has a red beak and orange-yellow feet, and the feathers are bright and luxurious. The head has a magnificent crest, and there is a wide white eyebrow behind the eye. The wings have a pair of chestnut yellow fan-shaped feathers standing upright on the back, which is very peculiar and eye-catching. It is easily recognized in the wild. The female bird has a black beak, orange-yellow feet, and grayish-brown feathers on the whole upper body. There is a white eye ring and a fine white eyebrow line behind it, which is also very conspicuous and unique.
The main habitat is in mountainous forests, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, reed marshes and rice paddies. It is omnivorous. Mute Swan is a famous ornamental bird in China. It has become a symbol of love because people see Mute Swans in pairs. It often appears in Chinese ancient literary works and myths. People often use Mute Swans to metaphor for the love between men and women.
Mute Swan's breeding habitat is in mountainous forests. When migrating to the breeding ground in late March and early April, it does not immediately build a nest, but gathers in groups to roam along rivers and reservoirs outside the forest. As the weather gradually warms up, Mute Swans gradually disperse and form pairs to enter the nesting area. In late April and late May, courtship behavior begins and lasts until mid-May. The courtship activity begins when the male and female swim together in the water, the male duck repeatedly bows his head to the female duck, dips his beak into the water, and at the same time erects his head with a magnificent crest, then stretches his neck and the head moves back and forth, then the male and female swim together slowly in the water, and do not dip their beaks into the water frequently. After a period of swimming, the female duck quickly swims forward, and the male duck follows her closely, constantly raising her tail, jumps onto the female duck's back, uses her beak to grasp the female duck's feather for mating. The mating time is about 2 seconds each time, and it can be done 4-5 times continuously. After mating, the male and female each proudly spread their wings for water bathing and feather grooming, then go ashore to rest.
The nest is built in a natural tree hole next to an old tree, with a height of 10-18 meters from the ground. The nest material is very simple, the nest has only the wood chips from the tree itself and the down feathers plucked from the female bird's body. The hole size is 8cm x 9cm, and the nest hole size is 43cm x 34cm. The wall thickness is 8cm and the depth is 64cm. The eggs start to hatch in early May, and each clutch lays 7-12 eggs. The eggs are round, white, smooth and without spots, with a size of 47-52 mm x 37-40 mm, with an average size of 50 mm x 38.3 mm, and weighs 18-45 grams, with an average weight of 22.9 grams. The female bird incubates the eggs, and the male bird leaves after the female bird starts incubating the eggs. After the female bird starts incubating the eggs, the male bird leaves to a secluded river section to molt. The female bird almost does not leave the nest during the last 1-2 days of incubating the eggs, and is particularly attached to the nest. The incubation period is 28-30 days.
Mute Swan's chicks are early-hatched. After the eggs hatch, the chicks are covered with fluff all over their bodies, and after hatching, the chicks can jump down from a high tree hole into the water and can swim and dive immediately. When leaving the nest, the parent bird first makes a 'chih ah, chih ah' sound in the hole, the sound is urgent and fine, and it lasts for 1 hour, then the parent bird flies out of the hole and falls under the tree and water, and continues to make a continuous sound, and the chicks in the nest also 'ji ji' sound and use their sharp claws to slowly crawl to the hole mouth, then one by one jump to the grass under the tree and quickly run to the water, swim around the parent bird.
50-60‘’
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