Black Swan, A Unique Waterbird That Attract Admiration
Black swan once made a scene of European society in 1697, when Willem de Vlamigh first introduced this water bird there. Previously, Europeans thought all swans were white, thus the presence of black swan attracted admiration among them. Black swan comes from the southeast and southwest parts of Australia, but since its color is very unique, many of black swans were brought to various countries as ornamental birds in the 1800s.
Physical Characteristics
Despite the fact that black swan population is now scattered in various parts of the world, they still become a rare sight for most of us. If we have chance to see this beautiful creature, we will be obviously stunned by their presence.
This swan has indeed black hair all over the body, except for the inner wing which is white. Their red beak looks in contrast to the color of his body, yet making them look even more majestic, almost magical. While the young swans or cygnets have gray color that will gradually turn black when they are adults.
The average length of the adult black swan ranges from 110 to 142 cm, and weighs between 3.7 and 9 kg. While the wings have a width between 1.2 to 2 m. Long S-shaped neck like the white swan.
Black swan looks more elegant when swimming with his neck upright and curved, sometimes they lift their wings with aggressive poses ready to fight when they see the threat approaching. When flying, black swans like to cluster and form majestic V formations, their wings are strong and their long necks look wavy like air dances. They also like to generate various sounds such as whistling, whining, trumpet-like sounds and so on as a way to communicate.
Food
Aquatic plants and marshland food are a favorite diet for black swans, since they are herbivores. The types of water food they get depends on characteristic of the area where they live in. For example in New South Wales Australia the food that dominates there is reedmace and various types of algae, while in Queensland there is Potamogeton and stoneworts.
Conservation
On the IUCN Red List about endangered species, black swan is included in the “Least Concern” category. Since 1974 the Australian government has tried to protect its habitat with regulations, and the New South Wales region has been designated a conservation area for black swan.
Western Australia sets black swan as their state icon, and it appears on their flag. The black swan logo can also be found in army uniforms and icons on institutional government in the region.
If you come to Bali Safari Marine Park, we also can see this creatures at the pool near bird aviary.
Its not put in the list of the animal attraction, just see them swim around the pool.