Swan

🦢 Swan-tastic Fun Facts!

• The mute swan is Ireland’s largest bird and one of the most graceful!
• Swans live in families. The male is called a cob, the female is a pen, and the baby is a cygnet.
• Swan couples usually stay together forever.
• Swans have white feathers, orange and black beaks, and super long necks.
• Baby swans (cygnets) have grey beaks, short necks, and fluffy bodies.
• Swans are awake during the day and sleep at night – sometimes on water!
• Nature’s Gardeners: Swans are herbivores, munching on grass, fruit, and algae.
• A swan in Irish is called an eala.
• Swans are part of the famous Irish myth ‘The Children of Lir’.
• Whooper swans come to places like Cloondroon and Belmont in winter. Let us know if you if you spot them!

Source: The swan is a native animal to Ireland. They have white feathers and orange and black beaks. They have long white necks. Baby swans have fluffy bodies, grey beaks and short necks. Swans have two legs and two wings. Swans are birds. They live in lakes and other bodies of water. Swans come out in the day and sleep at night. Mute swans stay in Ireland all year. Swans are herbivores and eat grass, fruit and algae. Swans live in families. A male swan is called a cob and a female is a pen. A baby swan is called a cygnet. It is called eala in Irish. I have seen a swan. A swan can sleep on land and water. They live for a long time. The Irish legend ‘Children of Lir is about four swans.

Information board: Mute Swan: Ireland’s largest bird, this is the most familiar of our three swan species. Pairs usually mate for life; the best way to distinguish between the sexes is to look at the black bump or “knob” at the base of the orange bill: this is larger on males than on females.