Whooper swan

 

You can tell the whooper swan from the mute swan in that the beak is yellow, and it is missing the mute swan's black knob on the beak. The whooping swan's neck is also more elongated than the mute swan.

 

In addition, you can recognise the whooper swans by its song that almost sounds like a trumpet. The whooper swan's windpipe is located in a deep hollow in the sternum, making the swan's voice beautiful and sonorous.

 

The whooper swan breeds in northern Scandinavia and Siberia, where it makes use of the short summer. The cygnets are ready to fly after about 2 months. Then they head south to countries like Denmark, where about 23,000 whooping swans winter every year.

 

When whooper swans arrive in Denmark, they find food in lakes, creeks and shallow-water inlet areas where they eat aquatic plants. After the first few months, the majority of whooper swans feed in agricultural fields of wheat, canola, potatoes, corn, beets and grass.

 

 

 

Height 150 cm

Wingspan 220-240 cm

Weight 8-10 kg

The male is the largest

 

The plumage of adult birds is white. The plumage  of cygnets is muddy grey-white.

 

Whoopers are most commonly seen in North Jutland, South Sealand and Lolland-Falster. However, it is also a common winter visitor in Southwest Jutland.