--- title: "Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "Not actually mute: it hisses, snorts and twirls with its wings raised." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/mute-swan-1.webp" published: "2026-10-10" updated: "2026-10-10" --- # Mute Swan (*Cygnus olor*) > **Status**: Checked against 6 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: Not actually mute: it hisses, snorts and twirls with its wings raised. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Japanese City Pop & Shibuya-kei // Miki Matsubara, "Mayonaka no Door ~ Stay With Me" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/7J5uS4KWccKN1Bj1QBZ3qe) > **Vibe Match**: Males and females form strong pair bonds that often last for life, and a pair bows and entwines necks each spring. The chorus asks one thing, stay with me, over a smooth mid-tempo groove at about 100 beats per minute, the same promise made every year. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Cygnus olor* - **Danger Level**: Medium - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-2.rlts.t22679839a281844289.en)) - **Superpower**: Raises its wings and twirls in a busking display, part of both rival standoffs and the mating ritual - **Habitat**: Lakes, rivers, canals and sheltered bays across Europe and Asia, introduced in North America - **Diet**: Mainly aquatic plants, plus grass grazed from nearby fields - **Tags**: bird, wetlands, freshwater, herbivore, display ## Natural History & Behavior ## Wings up, feathers fluffed When an adult male with a nest or brood meets another male, both raise their wings and fluff their feathers. This is called busking, and the two males then twirl in place. New York's wildlife agency says the ritual appears more like a dance than a fight. Busking is also part of the mating ritual. Do not mistake the show for a gentle bird. Breeding mute swans are very territorial, and both sexes are aggressive toward people and other waterfowl within their nesting area. Animal Diversity Web says blows from their wings can be especially painful, and that there are records of swans knocking boaters off jet skis. ## Not so mute after all Despite the name, mute swans are not silent. They often grunt softly while feeding and will hiss loudly if disturbed, especially when protecting their young. In flight, their wings make a whooshing sound. Their voices do not carry far, and Animal Diversity Web ties that to a straight trachea, the windpipe. ## Heavy, long-lived and slow to breed An adult measures 144 to 158 cm long, with a wingspan of 2 to 2.5 metres. From weighings of live birds, adult males average 10.75 kg and females 8.54 kg. A bird that reaches breeding age typically lives 10 years, and breeding usually starts at four. The oldest bird in the British Trust for Ornithology's ringing records was 29 years old, a record set in 2009. > **Piggyback ride** > Newly hatched cygnets often hitch a ride on their parents' backs for warmth, protection and to save energy. ## Pairs, plants and an imported population In spring, pairs bow to each other with wings held aloft, then entwine their necks, often forming a heart shape. Birds of the World says the pair bonds often last for life, though Animal Diversity Web notes that some swans have been seen with as many as four mates. The female lays four to seven eggs and incubates them while her partner stands guard. The grey cygnets turn grey-brown, then white, during their first year. Mute swans feed mainly on aquatic plants, and also graze on grass in nearby fields. New York's wildlife agency says they eat about 4 to 8 pounds (1.8 to 3.6 kg) of vegetation a day. They breed in the British Isles, north central Europe and north central Asia. New York's wildlife agency says they were first brought to the United States from Europe in the late 1800s, and it lists the mute swan as a prohibited invasive species. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Are mute swans really silent? No. A feeding swan often makes quiet grunts, and a disturbed one hisses loudly, most of all near its cygnets. The wings are noisy too: you might hear a swan flying over before you see it. *(Source: [RSPB]())* ### How heavy is a mute swan? Males are the heavier sex. Across 314 live adult males weighed for the British Trust for Ornithology, the average was 10.75 kg; across 233 adult females, 8.54 kg. *(Source: [British Trust for Ornithology]())* ### How long do mute swans live? Ten years is typical for a swan that survives to breeding age, by the British Trust for Ornithology's ringing data. The longest-lived bird in those records reached 29 years, 1 month and 11 days, a record set in 2009. *(Source: [British Trust for Ornithology]())* ### Do mute swans stay together for life? Often, though not always. Birds of the World says males and females form strong pair bonds that often last for life. *(Source: [Wood et al. 2024]())* ## Sources 1. [Cygnus olor. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T22679839A281844289.]() 2. [Wood et al. (2024). Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). Birds of the World.]() 3. [BirdFacts: Mute Swan. British Trust for Ornithology.]() 4. [Mute Swan. RSPB.]() 5. [Mute Swan. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.]() 6. [Cygnus olor (mute swan). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() *Published October 10, 2026. 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