Cygnets (baby swans) are protected by the parents. They usually are led to the pond 24 hours after hatching. At this point in time, the parents are only there to teach them how to be swans and protect them from predators. In fact, the mother may allow the young birds to ride around the pond on her back if the cygnets need to rest or sleep while she continues to feed.

Swans do not need to feed the cygnets as they can eat on their own. The parents scrape food from the bottom of the pond by moving their feet along the bottom of the pond or reaching vegetation under water and bringing the food to the surface for the young to eat. This is a way that the parents teach the young swans where and how to get food.

Finally, the parents will be responsible for teaching the young swans how to be swans, how to bathe, preen and dry their feathers, recognize and escape predators and other life lessons that will serve to keep the swans safe throughout their lives. The Regal Swan