There are several possibilities as to why the swans are standing near or on the road.

Has it been raining or extremely cold? The road may look like a small stream to the swans if the asphalt is wet.

It is possible that the swans are cold and are sitting on the road because it is warm. In any case, sitting near or on a road will usually result in something bad occurring such as the swan that was killed.

Another possibility is that something such as a predator or other swans may be in the pond and chasing them from the habitat. If there are no other swans, there may be other predators such as large turtles, mink or hunters in the area. Any of these disturbances may cause the swans to leave the pond and go to a clearing so that they can fly and escape if the pond is not available for take-off. The Regal Swan