A male Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, swimming with his wings raised and pushing water in front of him in a display of aggression.
Adult Mute Swans are easy to distinguish from all other swans by their orange beak and by often swimming with their necks more or less curved in an S-shape. Whoopers and Bewicks, by contrast, generally swim with straight, upright necks and their beaks are yellow and black rather than black and orange.
They have a long-held reputation for being aggresive, but a 2020 study – at WWT Slimbridge and WWT Caerlaverock – has shown that while they can be agressive towards other swans, and sometimes other waterbirds, they are strongly territorial and defensive of their nest sites or cygnets, rather than aggressive.
Swans are strongly territorial in the breeding season, driving most other wildfowl from the vicinity of nest. It is important at this time of year to give them a wide berth when walking, particularly if you have a canine companion with you.
Scottish Wildlife Trust
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