Some Mute Swan Facts

► Swans mates for life.
► The knob at the base of the male's upper bill is larger than the female's knob.
► A mute swan’s neck has 23 vertebrae, more than any other bird.
► Swans begin to breed between 3 and 4 years of age.
► They lay from 5 to 10 eggs that take from 35 to 42 days to hatch. The female does most of the egg incubation, but every now and then the male will replace her for a while.
► The babies are called cygnets and are usually pale gray with gray legs that turn black as they grow.