Ask the Swan Specialist

Cygnet with raw looking neck
By:MT
Date: 9 August 2013

Hi, I've been staying on a small lake in Michigan where they just, a couple weeks ago, killed hundreds of mute swans. There are a few survivors, one group of which is a mother swan and her three cygnets. I noticed one of the cygnets looked like it was collared, but then realized it just had no feathers in a 2 inch high ring around its neck. Over the week I've watched it, it has slowly separated itself from the family to pluck at its neck. Now it just seems to hang out on the nest while the rest of the family goes out on the water. I managed to get pretty close to it with some binoculars, and there does not appear to be anything around the neck but the skin is very raw and the cygnet keeps scratching at it. I've had no luck getting a wildlife rehabilitator to look at him because of Michigan now considering mute swans to be "invasive". Is there anything I might be able to do to help? Thanks!

Messages In This Thread

Cygnet with raw looking neck -- MT -- 9 August 2013
Re: Cygnet with raw looking neck -- The Regal Swan -- 10 August 2013