Ask the Swan Specialist

Re: Name of the white swan
By:The Regal Swan
Date: 11 February 2016
In Response To: Name of the white swan (Brittany)

Hi Brittany:

All northern hemisphere swans are white in color with southern hemisphere swans having some black coloration on their wings.

There are 7 species and one subspecies of swan. So, the better question would be what is the color of the bill?

Northern Hemisphere Swans include:

The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) has a reddish orange bill with a knob on the top of the bill. It has white wings.

The Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) has black bill with a yellow lore (small area between the bill and the eye). It has white wings.

The Bewick Swan (Cygnus bewickii bewickii) is the Eurasian sub-species of the North American Tundra Swan. The bill is both yellow and black. It has white wings.

The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator), the largest of the swan species and the largest waterfowl species in the world. The bill is black in color. It has white wings.

The Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) has a bill that is mostly yellow but does have some black. Both the Whooper and Bewick Swans have yellow and black bills, but the Whooper Swan has more yellow than black. Also, the markings of the bills on both species is like a fingerprint. There are no two swans with the same markings. The Whooper Swan has white wings.

Southern Hemisphere Swans include:

The Australian Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) has a bill that is bright red with a white band. Its eyes are red in color, but turn white during breeding season. Its wings are primarily black with some white coloration.

The Black-Necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus) has a black neck and white body so the wings are white in color. The bill is called a caruncle and is red in color with some gray markings. The swan has white markings around the eyes.

The Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba) has coral colored bill and feet. The wings are primarily white in color with black wingtips. The particular swan looks like a combination of a duck, goose and swan.

We hope this information is of benefit. The Regal Swan

Messages In This Thread

Name of the white swan -- Brittany -- 11 February 2016
Re: Name of the white swan -- The Regal Swan -- 11 February 2016