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Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
Almost entirely black with a bright red bill and elegant curled wing feathers, the Black Swan is native to Australia and an icon of the unexpected. It inhabits lakes, rivers, and coastal waters across the continent. Once unknown to Europeans, its discovery became a philosophical metaphor for events previously believed impossible.
Fun Fact
Europeans were so certain all swans were white that finding black ones in Australia in 1697 became a lasting metaphor for the impossible — the 'black swan event.'
Attributes
TypeWaterfowl
Habitatwetland, coastal
SizeLarge
Dietseeds
FlightStandard
Colorsblack, red
MigratoryNo
ContinentsOceania
Nest Typemound
ConservationLeast Concern
Difficulty: medium