How big is your pond? If it is significantly large, the juvenile may be able to stay, but will still be terrorized by the male parent. If you should move the juvenile, ensure that the smaller pond is safe with no predators and find another juvenile (mate) for it to live with. However, if you do get a mating pair, this is going to be an ongoing problem every year. You will need to pinion the cygnets and then find a good home. This may become an increasingly big problem as most states now require a permit for individuals to keep mute or black swans as well as breed them.

If you can feed the juvenile by hand, this will be the best method to capture it. Feed the juvenile and as it reaches for food, grab the neck and wings, being careful as the wings can swing powerfully with the capabability of breaking your arms, legs or arms. Once the wings are secured, secure its feet as the claws can also inflict deep lacerations. Once the bird is safely and snugly secured, then place it in a pen (1/2 in the water and 1/2 on land with a feeder inside) to introduce it to the new pond. You will also need to reinforce the bottom of the pen so that predators cannot dig under and a top of the pen placed so predators cannot crawl over the fence and kill the juvenile. Once the juvenile is in the pen for 1-2 weeks, it should be okay to release it onto the new pond.

If you just set the juvenile in the new surrounding without introduction in a pen, he will walk and may even find his way back to the original pond. Either way, he will be prey for any predator in the area that finds him walkiing around. Good luck. The Regal Swan