The entire process of mating lasts from a couple of seconds and can go on for almost an hour.Mating will start in a courtship behavior where a pair of swans nod their heads facing each other and simultaneously shake their wings.But when one mate dies, the living swan will find another mate. Swans are famous for their lifelong pair bonds.Some swans don’t find their mate until they are 7 years old.Swans can mate at 2 years old and usually start during the winter season.Swans breed and mate in freshwaters such as marshes, ponds, lakes, and slow-flowing rivers.Swans also eat insects, tadpoles, small fish, and worms.They eat seaweed and aquatic plants from underwater and stems, seeds, and berries from the land.Swans are generally omnivorous birds, but their diet is mainly plant-based.They have very strong wings with a wingspan of 3 meters or 10 feet.Swans can weigh up to 30 pounds and are 56 to 62 inches in length.Swans have beaks with sawlike edges that appear like they have teeth.Swan’s legs have a gray/blackish color.The South American “black-necked” swans have a white body and black neck.Black swans are native to Australia and New Zealand.Southern swans have a mixture of white and black with red, orange, or black beaks.Swans found in the Northern hemisphere are generally white with an orange beak.Swans are the largest animals in the duck-goose family.A swan has about 25,000 feathers in its body.Swans have streamlined bodies, and their feet are webbed.Some migratory swans travel to Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Central Asia, China, and Japan.Swans are not naturally present in Asia, Central America, and Africa.They are found in Australia, New Zealand, and South America.Swans are found in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

See the fact file below for more information on the swans, or you can download our 25-page Swan worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment. The image of a pair of swans with their necks entwined in the shape of a heart shows the animals’ loyalty to their partners and has become a universal symbol of love pictured by humans. Swans are famous for their monogamous pair bonds that last for many years. Swans are large aquatic birds seen as majestic and graceful animals.

Three wild swans