FAMILY NAME: Anatidae SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cygnus atratus SUBSPECIES: none
SIZE: 1.1 to 1.4m. (44 to 56") tip to tail. Wingspan to 2m.
LOCATION: Found over almost the entire continent of Australia, except in the very arid centre. More common in the south.
BREEDING: Breeding season is from February to March in the north, and June to September in the south. The parents pair bond for life. Raising one brood per season, with about 10 chicks in a clutch. Both the male and female care for their young. The nest is an untidy platform of reeds and grasses.
GENERAL: Almost completely black, but with white wing tips. The eye and bill are red, the bill having a white stripe across it, low down. The legs and feet are black. They will inhabit salt, brackish and fresh waterways, feeding on algae and weeds growing below the water surface. They will travel long distances, usually at night.
References:
Michael Morecombe. Field Guide to Australian Birds, Complete Compact Edtion.
Ken Simpson - Nicholas Day. The Birds of Australia.
M. Blakers - S. J. J. F. Davies - P. N. Reilly. The Atlas of Australian Birds.
Birds in Backyards. www.birdsinbackyards.net
Graham Pizzey - Frank Knight. The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia
