Swans by Gabriela Estefania Martinez

a2152_1 — 2025-05-13 14:48:34 UTC

a2152_1 — 2025-05-13 14:54:12 UTC

Swan, the largest species of waterfowl in the subfamily Anserinae, family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). Most swans are classified within this genus. Swans are birds with long necks, stout bodies, and large feet, gliding majestically as they swim and flying with slow wingbeats and extended necks. They migrate in diagonal or V formations at high altitudes, and no other waterfowl moves as swiftly in water or air.

a2152_1 — 2025-05-13 14:56:53 UTC

Swan song by Le Sserafim

a2152_1 — 2025-05-13 15:00:24 UTC

Europeans brought mute swans to North America during the late 1800s and early 1900s. They valued swans for the elegance the birds added to parks, ponds and lakes. It spread mostly in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions. Tell it apart from native tundra and trumpeter swans by its orange bill with a black knob.

a2152_1 — 2025-05-14 14:26:39 UTC

a2152_1 — 2025-05-14 14:28:59 UTC

If you have seen a swan for the first time, or are unsure what kind of swan you are seeing, looking through our Swan ID section is a great place to start.

Here are some basic things to know. There are three species of swans in North America. The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) and Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus), sometimes known as the Whistling Swan, are native to North America. The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a Eurasian species that has been introduced and now breeds in the wild in some areas. All three are very large all-white birds.