Bay of Garth, Shetland Islands

Whooper Swans On Ness Loch

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Whooper swans pair for life, and their cygnets stay with them all winter; they are sometimes joined by offspring from previous years. Their preferred breeding habitat is wetland, but semi-domesticated birds will build a nest anywhere close to water. Both the male and female help build the nest, and the male will stand guard over the nest while the female incubates. The female will usually lay 4-7 eggs (exceptionally 12). The cygnets hatch after about 36 days and have a grey or brown plumage. The cygnets can fly at an age of 120 to 150 days.

Uploaded to Geograph by Rude Health on 6 June 2013

Creative Commons License Photo © Rude Health , 6 June 2013. Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons licence

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