Bath time Mute Swan
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The mute swan is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
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The mute swan was first formally described by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin as Anas olor in 1789, and was transferred by Johann Matthäus Bechstein to the new genus Cygnus in 1803.
Mute swans can be very aggressive in defence of their nests and are highly protective of their mate and offspring. Most defensive acts from a mute swan begin with a loud hiss and, if this is not sufficient to drive off the predator
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The mute swan is one of the heaviest flying birds. In several studies from Great Britain, males (known as cobs) were found to average from about 10.6 to 11.87 kg (23.4 to 26.2 lb
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Mute swan subfossils, 6,000 years old, have been found in post-glacial peat beds of East Anglia, Great Britain.
