You are welcome. If the swan has an orange beak, then it is a Mute Swan. See if you can make the swan fly. If it flies and leaves the area, then no harm no foul. However, if the swan cannot fly, it means that someone placed the swan on the lake and now someone is legally responsible for the swan.

A captive swan must be fed supplementally, as the bird has no way of flying to find a more suitable habitat with a good food source. Supplemental food should be cracked corn and poultry layer pellets, lettuce and some bread (not much, but a couple of hamburger or hot dog buns a day). Even if the bird can fly, this still may be the humane thing to do as you are not sure how much of a food source, especially, aquatic vegetation is available for the bird. Presumably, it will fly away if it can fly and further food needs to be found.

The birds are high maintenance in that (if captive) they must be provided veterinary medical care (they should be vaccinated against botulism and checked on a yearly basis) for their general upkeep. If the swan gets hurt or sick, the bird must also be taken to the veterinarian for treatment. Yes, this can cost, however, it is not fair to have a captive animal and not provide the humane veterinary medical and daily care that is required for taking an animal out of a wild setting.

Having said this, most mute swans are considered feral and may require special permits to possess and maintain. In many cases, these birds are not from a wild flock, but are bred from a captive environment. Providing the birds with humane care is really a very simple task. We hope this information is of benefit. The Regal Swan