***NY - Introduced***

    Mute Swans are New York's third swan and the only one that breeds in any numbers.  They are native to Europe, but are kept frequently in captivity.  Escaped birds breed mostly in the wetlands bordering Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Coast, although they may be seen almost anywhere in the state.  Like the other two swans they are large, all white birds, but Mute Swans are the only one that holds its neck in an "S" curve.  Adult Mutes have an orange bill with a black knob on its base, while juveniles lack the knob and have a dark bill.  They can be told apart from Tundra and Trumpeters by the curved neck.
    Quite a pretty and majestic bird and very popular, Mute Swans are aggressive near nest sites and usually fend off other species of waterfowl.  Trumpeters on the other hand allow other birds to nest near them and there is some evidence they out-compete Mutes as a breeding bird.  That is one of the reasons for the push to re-introduce Trumpeters to the state.  Whatever their final outcome, Mute Swans are a part of New York's Wildlife (at least for the time being) and we can enjoy them while they are here.