New Zealand Introduced Animals > Black Swan

Black Swan

Cygnus atratus

INTRODUCED; COMMON; RESIDENT

DISTRIBUTION: Originally confined to Australia, the black swan has been widely introduced elsewhere in the world. Brought to New Zealand as a game bird in the 1860s it is now widespread on wetlands throughout the country and the Chatham Islands.

HABITAT: Large shallow lakes, coastal lagoons, wetlands and occasionally rivers.

BREEDING: Nesting can occur at almost any time, and may be solitary or colonial. Older birds will often pair for life, but breakups are common with younger birds. The nest is a large untidy heap of reeds and grasses, savagely defended against trespass. A usual clutch consists of 5-6 eggs which take 35-45 days to hatch.

FOOD: Almost entirely vegetarian they use their long necks to explore under the water for aquatic plants. They will also forage on land, grazing like geese, and are therefore considered a pest by many farmers.

GENERAL: The only entirly black swan in the world. They have a characteristic waxy red bill and curly feathers. Before the Wahine storm of 1968 it is thought that up to 60,000 swans were on Lake Ellesmere. The storm killed off much of the weed these swans feed on and combined with the organised shooting of these birds their numbers have decreased.


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