Mute Swan

This is the most well know swan species that is native to northern Eurasia; very big in European fairytales. It was brought to the USA as a domestic bird for enjoying its beauty around a pond or lake. I have seen one wild one flying over northeast Illinois and one wild, lone specimen swimming in a lake at French Creek State Park in southeast Pennsylvania. Some are now an introduced, wild species to parts of the east coast of the US and considered as damaging to American wetland ecosystems. Otherwise, I have seen domestic birds in ponds in Elmhurst, IL, Hinsdale IL, the Ford Museum in southeast Michigan, the Ponds in Downingtown, PA, and at some other Eastern and Midwestern sites and zoos, and lots of them at Heidelberg, Germany in the river. This species gets its name of 'Mute" in that it... read more does not usually make calls.