Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Length

Peterson's Field guide suggests that these birds reach 60" in length.  I don't believe it.  This sounds exaggerated to me.  The ones I've seen in the field are just a little larger than Canada Geese.

Habitats

Mute Swans are somewhat common in Upstate New York. They are frequently seen in the following locations:

The shores of the Lake Ontario near bays.  Mute Swans are frequently seen at the Irondequoit Bay outlet.

Video

Video of Swans at the shore of Irondequoit Bay, near Rochester, NY.  This is an 8.5 Meg Windows Media Format file.  Recommended for broadband download. 

Sound

Mute Swan?  It sometimes hisses or grunts.  The books say that sometime they have a "loud trumpeting call."  If you hear one, record it for me.

Click on image to see more detail.

For More Information

Rochester Birding Organizations

• Audubon Society-Genesee West 225-6670. 1 Tully Lane, Rochester, NY 14626.
• Braddock Bay Bird Observatory. P.O. Box 12876, Rochester, NY 14612.
• Braddock Bay Raptor Research. 432 Manitou Beach Road, Hilton, NY 14468.
• Burroughs Audubon Nature Club 924-9454. "The Burroughs Audubon Nature Club was organized in 1913 by people interested in nature study, birds, and conservation. With about 400 members today, B.A.N.C. continues to meet on a regular basis with a variety of indoor programs on the second Friday of the month at the Garden Center of Rochester, 5 Castle Park, Rochester, NY, and many field trips to local natural areas.
  The club has a 30 acre nature sanctuary with trails and a clubhouse near the Town of Pittsford where many activities are scheduled. For further information, you may call: 924-9454 and leave a message or write to Burroughs Audubon Nature Club, P.O. Box 17164, Rochester, New York, 14617."

Search the Web for information on birds

Search the World Wide Web for information on ornithology using the Yahoo! search tool.

Bibliography

If you are interested in reading more about Mallard ducks connect to the Rochester Public Library's electronic online card catalog.