Mute Swan

waterfowl · Europe · swans · introduced species

Huge and white. Mute swans are enormous birds, stretching 140 to 160 centimeters long, with pure white feathers and an orange beak rimmed in black.

The knob means it's a boy. Both male and female mute swans have a bumpy knob on top of their beaks, but the males have much bigger ones that show how strong and healthy they are.

Quieter than cousins. The name 'mute' comes from the fact that they make fewer sounds than other swan species, though they're not completely silent.

Traveled far from home. Originally from Europe and parts of Asia and Africa, mute swans were brought to places like North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where some populations grew huge.