A swan is an aquatic bird. They have long neck, which freely moves. They are white in color, with plumage that is also white. Like ducks, they also have webbed feet with short legs as compared to their body. They have a broad bill. According to their habitats, they eat different types of food. Due to a variety of foods, their body conditions may also change according to the diet they use as the fat percentage in their body. The change is noticeable between urban and rural flocks of swans.
There is mainly a difference in muscle and bone weight content. As we know, they are aquatic birds and are found near rivers, lakes, or other water bodies. They usually use plants or vegetation found in water, like stems, leaves, and roots of aquatic plants, especially crowfoot and Ranunculus repens. But the swans that usually live in urban areas are totally dependent on human food like pieces of bread. All males are more active and alert than females all the time.
Feeding behavior
Swans are aquatic birds. They usually eat aquatic plants. Their stems, leaves, and roots also feed on grains, like wheat. Sometimes swans like green algae to eat. Aquatic vegetation is their major diet. They usually feed when they are in their active form. The active form means they are totally vigilant.
Swans have long, flexible necks. In their inactive form, they are not alert. They fold their long neck in their wings or in their head and neck is up but not in an active condition, or we can say that it is in their resting position. Being aquatic birds, these birds generally like the horizontal surface of the water in their search for food. When they are active and feeding, their head, neck, and body are totally immersed in water but due to the high or up ended surface of the water, their feet and tails are not submerged in water. There should be two sources of food for swans: either natural or artificial, provided by humans. In both cases, there is a competition to get food.
What Do Swans Eat?
They naturally feed on aquatic plants or get their food from bodies of water and the environment around bodies of water. Swans can also live in public locations or in urban locations, such as those who reside in zoos. However, they eat the food that people eat. They survive just on bits of bread and have no need for natural food. They only consume bread in order to maintain their development.
Common food
- Wheat
- Aquatic Grass
- Green algae
- Aquatic plants(stems, leaves)
- Bread
Besides these special feed swans also likes some other types of foods e.g:
- Beetles
- Snails
- Worms
- Algae
- Pondweed
- Wild celery
- Coontail
- Water striders
- Mosquitos
- Dragonflies
- Cracked corn
- Common waterweed
- Muskgrass
- Grain
- Wild Rice
- Arrowhead
- Blueberries
- Freshwater shrimp
Wheat
Swans enjoy eating wheat during the winter months when they are on the hunt for food on land. This results in a significant waste of wheat because they are incapable of swallowing the entire grain at once. Due to their nature as water birds, swans prefer to live near bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and canals. When the flow of a river is at its peak, due to the extremely rapid flow of water, the water reaches crop fields where there is insufficient food to sustain them. As a result, they migrate to wheat fields in search of grain to eat. As a result of their inability to swallow it all, the food they receive cannot be consumed in its entirety; as a result, they waste an excessive amount of food.
Aquatic grass
Swans spend most of their time in or on water, where they forage for food in the water. They enjoy eating aquatic flora, which helps them maintain their growth pace. They eat aquatic vegetation as a food source. This can be found along the sides of rivers or lakes.
Green algae
Algae can be found in bodies of water. Swans eat algae as well as other plants. In most cases, they consume a specific type of algae known as green algae. Actually, the filamentous green algae that they enjoy eating is a specific type of green algae that is popularly known as filamentous green algae.
Aquatic plants / vegetation
Because swans are aquatic birds, they primarily graze on aquatic vegetation, which includes the stems and leaves of aquatic plants, as well as other aquatic plant materials. Aquatic grasses are also included in this category.
Bread
Swans that reside in public settings, such as zoos, are known to consume human food. They are given pieces of bread by the general public. It is not, however, a natural food. They, on the other hand, enjoy eating bread. The reason for this is that natural food can only be found in natural settings, which is why there is no natural food available here.
When do they feed?
Adults often spend nearly one-third of their waking hours feeding themselves. When they are in an active state, they feed on their prey. In other words, they eat when they are on alert or vigilant. They typically consume their meals during the day. The time of day at which they feed is determined by the amount of light available. Grazing takes up 67 percent of their total active time.
It will take them 46% of their time to find green algae to eat. One of the most remarkable facts about females is that they feed for a longer period of time than males. Males feed over a shorter period of time than females, yet they are more active than females as a result of their shorter feeding period. There is a reason why if the females consume less food, it will have a significant negative impact on their ability to reproduce successfully. Females who consume less are thought to be unable to reproduce effectively.
Feeding methods
Swans prefer to feed on the horizontal surface of the water when possible. The following characteristics are noticeable while feeding.
- The long neck is submerged in water.
- Head is also down or immerse in water.
- Because the surface of water is up from the end, the tail and their short legs are out of water.
These are variable in different types of swans that how much part of neck down, how much neck is emerged in water.
| Type of swan | Water surface (%) | Head down (%) | Neck down (%) | Up-ended (%) |
| Rural river | 51 | 0 | 28 | 21 |
| Reservoir | 0 | 6 | 79 | 15 |
| Gravel pit | 9 | 6 | 82 | 03 |
| Urban river | 12 | 19 | 63 | 06 |
Seasonal changes in feeding
In winter, they almost totally feed on wheat in the wheat fields. From May to July, the feeding activity is diminished. But in urban swans, the feeding activity decreases throughout the winter season. However, as August approaches, their feeding rate increases significantly, and feeding activity rapidly decreases. Swans generally take bread as part of their diet which is usually served to them by people. So, with urban swans, the feeding rate depends upon the supply of bread. The feeding rate is enhanced in rural swans as compared to urban swans.
