Baby swans are called cygnets and look very different from their parents for the first few months of their lives.Swans are waterfowl and belong to the family Anatidae, which also contains ducks, geese, and loons. These birds are known for their pure white feathers and graceful appearance and can be found in habitats like wetlands, swamps, lakes, ponds, and flooded grasslands.Young swans, or cygnets, spend the first 5-12 months of their lives with their parents. Swans form pairs during the mating period and usually stay together for life. Females then lay their eggs over a 24-48 hour period, while the male swans help to defend their babies as well as care for their babies which have already hatched. Adults can be seen caring for their babies, ferrying them around the pond until they can swim, and helping provide them with food. Read on to know more about baby swans and why they are called cygnets!What is a swanling?A swanling, or cygnet, is a baby swan. Baby swans are not white and attractive like their parents but are rather fuzzy, light brown, or yellow in color. They have black beaks, compared to their parents’ striking orange ones.Swans usually lay 4-6 eggs, which hatch after 32-37 days. After they hatch, fuzzy cygnets emerge, which stay with their parents until they are ready to leave the nest at 4-5 months old. You may often see baby swans riding on their parentss backs, who ferry them around lakes or ponds until they are comfortable enough to swim on their own.What is the origin of cygnet?The genus which swans belong to is Cygnus, which comes from the Latin word for ‘swan’.This word was first recorded being used in the 1400s and has been adapted into the scientific genus name for swans. The singular of Cygnus, referring to a single swan, is Cygnini.The word cygnet is formed by adding ‘-et’ to the root word Cygnus. The ‘-et’ signifies being small, basically giving the word the meaning ‘small swan’. This is why a baby swan is called a cygnet.What is a baby swan’s life cycle?The breeding period for swans takes place in early spring, after which a female swan lays a clutch of up to seven eggs in between April and May. The eggs will then go through an incubation period of 35-41 days, after which small gray cygnets emerge.The most crucial part of a baby swan’s life is the first two weeks, during which this small bird must fight to survive through the most vulnerable time of its life. This bird is extremely small, defenseless, and unable to fight off any predators during this time. These birds must keep themselves warm, above water, and alive during this period, helping them to develop basic survival skills. As they grow rapidly during these two weeks, they are much more efficient at conserving body heat and defending themselves once they cross the two-week mark.Their parents do help them out during this time by giving them a ride on their backs or sheltering them under their wings, but after this, they must learn to swim on their own as they become too heavy for adult swans to carry them. Cygnets stay with their parents until they are between 5-12 months of age, after which they are essentially considered independent and fly off to start their own lives. They spend their very first winter with their parents and usually do not stick around for the second winter.A male swan, or cob, will usually help a female (called the pen) to care for their babies. If a pen is still laying eggs, or waiting for the remaining ones to hatch, the cob will begin to care for the hatched babies until they are ready to leave them. Adult swans do not feed their young by directly putting food into their mouths, instead, they stir up seeds, bits of aquatic plants, leaves, and other tiny creatures found in pond sediments for cygnets to feed on.How can you tell the difference between an adult and a baby?Telling the difference between adult swans and babies is very easy because they look very different!Adult swans are known for their beautiful white feathers, elegant orange beaks with a smoky black base, and eyes. On the other hand, cygnets are way smaller, with small grayish black beaks and downy brownish-gray feathers, making them look extremely fluffy.There is no difference in appearance in a pair of adults, with the male swan only being slightly larger than the female.Birth Of A Baby SwanDuring their breeding season, which normally lasts from April to May, swans will form pair bonds and begin to nest.A female swan may lay between three to seven eggs, which usually need to be incubated for a period of 35-41 days. After this period is over, the eggs will begin to hatch over a 24-48 hour period. Any egg which does not hatch during this time is abandoned, as it is likely it will never hatch. The mother helps to brood the eggs and the male swan stands guard nearby to prevent any attacks from predators. Once all the eggs hatch, these cygnets are directly led to the lake or pond from the nest.Cygnets don’t need immediate feeding, as they consume a good portion of the yolk in their eggs while hatching. After this, the life of a baby swan begins!Did You Know…Male swans are called cobs, while females are referred to as pens.Though pairs may abandon the nests they build to lay eggs in, they may build more nests to sleep in.There are quite a few species of swans, like black swans, trumpeter swans, mute swans, and whooper swans. The most commonly found species in the Americas is the trumpeter swan, while mute swans are commonly found in Europe and Asia.Swans in the Northern Hemisphere are pure white, while those found in the Southern Hemisphere have plumage which is white mixed with black!Cygnets have been known to imprint on ducks, geese, and even humans right after being born!
Baby swans are called cygnets and look very different from their parents for the first few months of their lives.
