If the cygnets are very small, 1 week of age or less, then the mother can hide them among the reeds, carry them under her wings out of sight, or hide them in the nest. Usually, after 1-2 weeks of age, the swans are given more free range to swim behind or near the mother and are much visible.

If you do not see the cygnets within the next day or so, it would be a good assumption that they were taken by a predator or there was another cause (injury, illness, etc.) in which they did not survive. Swans, geese, ducks, alligators, turtles, etc., lay many eggs because of the risk of predation as they are part of nature's food chain. The more eggs laid, increases the probability of more offspring surviving and even if some are taken by the predators, the others fill the void and maintain the species' lineage. The Regal Swan
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