As long as the pond does not freeze, the swan should be fine. If the temperatures dip below 40 for an extended period of time and the pond freezes, then intervention may be needed.

Swans usually begin to migrate from September or October, maybe even later if the weather stays warm. If this is a captive swan, cannot fly, then hopefully the owners of the swan know to bring it inside should the weather become severe.

Swans in the northern hemisphere are built for tundra and other cold climates. However, severe weather which lasts for days and produces freezing ponds, prevent eating, drinking and bathing by the swans, allows easy access by predators onto the frozen ice are not conducive to survival.

If this is a wild swan, it still may not be in the best situation for winter weather if it does not leave. However, in some states, wildlife authorities will kill the wild Mute Swans. This is happening throughout the U.S. because wildlife authorities falsely misrepresent the Mute Swans as an invasive species so that the general public will buy into the killing programs.

What is really occurring is that the killing of the Mute Swans opens up wetland habitats so that the larger Trumpeter Swans can be introduced for Trophy Waterfowl hunting purposes. If the birds are not killed and are taken from the wild, a portion of their wings are amputated so they can never fly and must live in a captive setting the rest of their lives. So, before you alert anyone to a Mute Swan, please check quietly with local wildlife rehabilitators first to determine if they are under orders to kill the birds or amputate their wings before any intervention. The Regal Swan
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