Swan
Featured in: Year 1: Animals, including humans
Swan
Bird
A huge, elegant white waterbird with a long neck, found on lakes and rivers.
💡 Fun Facts
- Mute swans are one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
- They have over 25,000 feathers on their body.
- In the UK, the King legally owns all unmarked mute swans on open water.
Name Story
Cygnus olor
means “swan-swan — and not really mute”
What does its name mean?
- Cygnus — swanLatin, from Greek kyknos
- olor — swan — a second, older Latin word for swanLatin
- mute — silent — but this is misleadingEnglish
Its scientific name is simply 'swan' in two languages at once. And 'mute'? Not really — it hisses, snorts and grunts, and its wings make a loud, throbbing song as it flies. It was only ever called 'mute' because it is quieter than the honking whooper and Bewick's swans.