Mute swan
Cygnus olor
Redisko23 · New Athon, Abkhazia Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 140–160 cm, wingspan 200–240 cm; 7.6–14.3 kg
- Diet
- Water plants, grass, grain
- Status in Georgia
- Migrant and winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Abkhazia; Adjara
- Habitat
- Lakes, lagoons, slow rivers and sea bays
- Family
- Anatidae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2025); Georgia LC (2024)
The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a very large waterbird: it is usually 140–160 cm long, with a wingspan of 200–240 cm. The male weighs 9.2–14.3 kg and the female 7.6–10.6 kg. It is one of the heaviest flying birds. Its Georgian name refers to its orange-red bill, while its English and Russian names refer to its being quieter than other swans. It is harmless to people, but defends its nest and young fiercely. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant and winter visitor. Most records come from Abkhazia and Adjara, on the Black Sea coast. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC).
Identification
Mute swan: how to identify it
A very large, all-white swan with a long neck, often held in an S-curve. The bill is bright orange, black around the nostrils and at the tip, with a black knob at the base that is larger in the male. The legs are dark grey.
The adult is all white. The feathers of the head and neck are often stained orange-brown by iron and tannins in the water.
The bill is orange, edged black around the nostrils, with a black tip and a black knob at the base. The male is larger than the female and has a larger knob.
Young birds are grey or buff, with a dull greyish-black bill in their first year. In flight the wings make a loud, rhythmic throbbing sound that can be heard 1–2 km away and is unique to this species.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
It lives on lowland fresh waters: shallow lakes, ponds, lagoons, marshes, reedbeds and slow rivers. It prefers clean water rich in plants. It is also common on artificial waters: reservoirs, gravel pits and park lakes. It grazes on grassland and crop fields too. During the moult and in winter it also uses brackish marshes, lagoons, estuaries and sheltered sea bays. It ranges from sea level to 350 m. In Georgia most records come from Abkhazia, mainly New Athos, as well as near Gagra and Gudauta. In Adjara it is seen in Batumi from autumn to spring. Kvemo Kartli, in Gardabani Municipality and at Ponichala south of Tbilisi, has only a few records, in winter and early spring.
The mute swan map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Two regions have enough records: Abkhazia and Adjara.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It feeds mainly on plants. It reaches underwater plants with its long neck and grazes grass on land. It eats algae, grain and crops such as oilseed rape and wheat. It does not dive for food. In small amounts it also eats water insects, molluscs, worms, fish and frogs.
Wild populations are migratory, especially when driven by cold weather. Birds in western and central Europe are mostly resident. Swans that breed in Hungary, Ukraine and Russia often winter on the Black Sea, and birds from West and Central Asia on the shores of the Caspian Sea. It is usually strongly territorial: only one pair breeds on a small lake. After breeding, in July and August, the adults gather in thousands to moult and cannot fly for 6–8 weeks. It is quieter than other swans but grunts, hisses and snorts. When threatened it arches its neck back, half raises its wings and swims towards the rival. Pairs stay together for life and often reuse the same nest every year. The nest is a large mound of plants built in shallow water at the water's edge or on an island. The female lays 5–8 eggs and incubates them for about 36 days while the male guards the nest. The cygnets hatch between May and July. Tired cygnets climb onto a parent's back, and in rain they shelter under its wings. They fledge at 120–150 days. It defends the nest and young fiercely: first it hisses loudly, then it attacks with the bony spurs on its wings and with its bill.
Globally the mute swan is rated Least Concern (LC, 2025). There are 308,000–348,000 mature birds, and the number is increasing. More than half of its range is in Europe. The main threat is lead poisoning: swans swallow lead fishing weights, lead shot and sediment polluted with lead from mining. Swans also die tangled in fishing line and hooks, in collisions with power lines and in oil spills. It is susceptible to avian influenza, including H5N1. In western Europe it was almost wiped out by hunting between the 13th and 19th centuries, and its numbers recovered after it was protected. The species is listed in Appendix II of CMS and in Annex II of the EU Birds Directive. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates it Least Concern (LC) in Georgia.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant and winter visitor.
Most records come from the Black Sea coast: in Abkhazia at New Athos and near Gagra and Gudauta, and in Adjara at Batumi. Kvemo Kartli has only a few winter records.
It is a very large, all-white swan with an orange bill and a black knob at the base of the bill. Young birds are grey or buff, with a greyish-black bill.
It is usually 140–160 cm long, with a wingspan of 200–240 cm. The male weighs 9.2–14.3 kg and the female 7.6–10.6 kg.
Mainly water plants, which it reaches with its long neck, as well as grass, grain and crops. In small amounts it eats water invertebrates, fish and frogs.
Usually not, but it defends its nest and young aggressively: it hisses and attacks with its wings and bill. Do not approach a nest or swans with cygnets.
Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC), and its numbers are increasing. The main threat is poisoning from swallowed lead fishing weights and shot.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
