These swans include two Beanie Babies,
Gracie and Goddess. There is also a Trumpeter Swan
(lower left) made by Wild Republic, which is part of their Audubon Birds Collection.
And the Swan at lower right is Sailor the 
Swan
from the Coca-Cola International
Bean Bag collection. Sailor represents the country of Austria.
There a number of different species of
swan. The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is about 5 feet long, all white
with an orange bill and black around the tip. This swan lives
near lakes, marshes, ponds and coastal areas. Mute swans originated
in Europe and were brought to North America years ago.
These swans feed on insects and aquatic
plants. They build their nest near water in a large mound of
reed stems, roots, sticks and other vegetation. Anywhere up to
a dozen young are hatched, but the clutch size is usually around
4 to 6. The eggs (100 x 70 mm) are blue gray in color, but can
be almost white. The incubation period is 35 to 38 days. These
young swans are called cygnets. Even though these birds are named
"mute" swans, they are capable of sounds including
hisses and grunts.
Order: Anseriformes | Family: Anatidae
| Species: Cygnus olor
