First, a male swan after losing its mate may not re-mate. He may become aggressive toward the female because it is up to the individual swan and swan species if they will take a new mate. Whatever you decide, the female and the male must be separated, i.e., in a pen so that they can get acclimated to the new habitat as well as each other. If there is a hint of aggression, you will need to remove the female as he may seriously injure or even kill her.

There are also several considerations to getting a female for this male. First, there may be special permits that you may need from your Fish & Wildlife officials as most states require a permit for having mute swans or other feral species. Secondly, you may need a permit for any new swans (cygnets) produced by the pair as now you may be considered a breeder.

Cygnets must be captured and pinioned (portion of the wing amputated to prevent flying) between 1-3 weeks of age. Do you have an avian veterinarian experienced in this procedure in your area? If not, you will need to find a vet and the cygnets returned to their parents within a reasonable amount of time after the surgery (2-3 hours). Otherwise, the parents will reject the young.

What will you do with the cygnets once they are 1 year of age? How big is your lake/pond? Parents become aggressive once new breeding season begins and will chase, possibly injure or kill the young birds to remove them from the area for the new arrivals. Mute swans can have 1-13 cygnets a year. This is a lot of birds and why you may now be considered a breeder under certain state laws.

Finally, a much younger female can be hurt during the mating process. The female needs to be at least 3 years of age before trying to mate with the mature adult. The Regal Swan