Fun Facts About Bird
The Mute Swan, despite its name, is not entirely silent. When agitated, it hisses and grunts. Adult Mute Swans are also capable of making snoring, snorting, and whistling sounds, and they produce distinctive noises while in flight.
However, it is the quietest of all swan species, which is why it is called the Mute Swan. This bird weighs approximately 14 kilograms and measures between 145 and 160 centimeters in length, making it the heaviest wild bird in Britain.
The mute swan (Cygnus olor) has a highly flexible neck and spine, particularly adapted for its aquatic lifestyle. Its long, supple neck has between 22 and 25 vertebrae, far more than most birds, allowing it to bend, twist, and extend with ease. This flexibility helps mute swans forage in water, reaching deep below the surface to feed on aquatic plants and invertebrates.
The flexibility of the swan’s neck also plays a role in communication and courtship displays, as they perform elegant, curved neck postures. While its spine isn’t as flexible as that of animals like cats, the mute swan’s long neck makes it one of the most graceful and flexible in the avian world.
Why It is called Mute Swan?
The mute swan is called “mute” because it is relatively quieter compared to other swan species, like the whooper or trumpeter swans, which are known for their loud, honking calls. Mute swans are not completely silent, though—they do make soft grunts, hisses, and snorts, especially when they feel threatened or are communicating with mates and offspring.
The “mute” name comes from this tendency to be less vocal overall, especially in comparison to other swans that are much more vocal. Instead of calls, mute swans rely more on visual displays and postures, like the famous “S” curve of their neck, to communicate.