Why did the swan leave the egg for some time questions and answers
Answers
Explanation:
The following list of questions are the questions we are asked on almost a daily basis – we hope the answers will be of use.
General Questions
Is the sanctuary open to the general public?
Other than for dropping off injured waterfowl the sanctuary is only open for visits by prior arrangement.
Swan-related Questions
What do swans eat?
Swans living on fresh water will typically eat pondweed, stonewort and wigeon grass, as well as tadpoles and insects such as milfoil.
Swans living on salt water will typically eat sea arrow grass, salt marsh grass, eel grass, club rush and green algae, as well as insects and molluscs.
What can I feed swans?
If you want to feed swans then give them fresh bread (mould is poisonous to them), grain such as wheat or corn, and fresh greens such as lettuce or spinach. The food should be thrown onto the water so that they can swallow water with the food – feeding them on land is environmentally unsound and encourages the swans to leave the water whenever they see people which can bring them into harm from cars, dogs etc.
Is feeding bread bad for swans?
The simple answer is no, mouldy bread should never be fed and bread should not be the only diet of a swan but bread is not dangerous to swans. There has been much talk recently about banning the feeding of bread to swans but no scientific studies have been made to back up the reasoning behind this. There is a link to a published paper here which studied swan feeding habits including the feeding of bread. As stated above please feed the swans on the water it is much safer for them and they like their food wet to swallow easier.
Can swans be over-fed?
No. Swans are not greedy creatures and will only eat what they need.
Is it normal for a swan to fold one of its legs up onto its back?
Yes. It’s like us crossing our legs, plus the large surface area of the foot is used for body temperature control like an elephant’s ear, absorbing heat from the sun when necessary.
At what age do swans start mating?
A juvenile swan normally lives as part of a flock until it is about 4 years old and deemed as being an adult. It then seeks out a mate, most commonly from the flock it’s living in, and heads off with the mate to find their own mating territory. If another mating pair is nearby then problems can occur in the form of a territorial battle, the losers of which will have to move on in search of another “patch”.
What time of year do swans breed?
The mute swan, which is the white swan most commonly seen in the British Isles, will normally mate at anytime from spring through to summer, with the cygnets being born anytime from May through to July.
How long do swans sit on their eggs?
After the nest has been built, which typically takes 2-3 weeks, the egg laying process begins with an egg being laid every 12-24 hours. Once all the eggs have been laid, which can take 2-3 weeks, they will all be incubated (ie sat on to start the growth process) at the same time with hatching usually 42 days (6 weeks) later.
Is it normal for a swan to sit on her eggs for longer than the normal 6 weeks?
Yes. If she is still sitting on the eggs then she must be able to hear movement within the eggs. It may be that she lost her first clutch of eggs to a predator and has laid a new set – this would explain the extended “sitting” period.
What predators do cygnets and swans have?
New born cygnets are mainly lost to crows, herons, magpies, turtles, pike and large perch. Both cygnets and full-grown swans are also the prey of foxes and mink.
The nesting female has disappeared/been killed – should anything be done?
No. The male will take over the nesting process and is quite capable of rearing the cygnets alone.
The nesting female’s mate has disappeared/been killed – should anything be done?
No. She is quite capable of rearing the cygnets alone. People often worry that nesting females will starve to death when they have lost their mates as they are scared to leave their nests in search of food – this is incorrect. All female swans feast before nesting as they know food will be harder to come by once they are on the nest – it is normal for them to lose weight during the nesting period.
There’s a swan’s nest in a really vulnerable location – what can be done?
If the nest is vulnerable to interference from human factors, such as on a tow-path or the bank of a pond where people walk their dogs, then you should contact your local council and ask them to erect protective fencing around the nest. If the nest is vulnerable to natural events such as high tides & floodwater then it should be left alone so that the swans can learn from the experience – if a young couple lose a nest under these circumstances then they will learn not to build a nest so low down the next year. Sad as it is, they have to be allowed to learn from natural experiences which is one reason why it is illegal to interfere with a swan’s nest in any way.