Once the cygnets are approximately 1-2 weeks of age, the mother will get them out of the nest and as far away as possible in the same lake so that predators do not find the cygnets. This process also allows the young birds to float on their mother's back to rest, escape predators, stay warm and dry. Then, they go back into the pond to learn how to be a swan and learn how to feed, what to eat and familiarize themselves with the habitat.

Eventually, the swans may come back to the side of the pond with the nest, but usually once the cygnets learn to fly, the parents will take them in the immediate area to show them their habitat, how to return, how to look for other suitable areas and migrate with them during the nesting season if they can fly. Once the migration season is complete, the young swans will be chased from the area to find another habitat and their parents will usually return (to the same nesting) site to produce a new brood. The Regal Swan