How to identify it
Very large, all-white swan, 1.4-1.6 m long. [1]
Orange bill with a raised black knob at the base. [1]
Often swims with its neck in a graceful S-curve, sometimes with wings arched above its back. [1]
Young birds are duller, brownish-grey, with a grey bill. [1]
Compared with the trumpeter swan: The mute swan has an orange bill with a black knob and a quieter, hoarse voice than native swans. [1]
Compared with the tundra swan: The mute swan's orange bill with a black knob separates it from native swans. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Tundra swan · Cygnus columbianus
- Trumpeter swan · Cygnus buccinator
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Mute swan from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Fresh and salt ponds, coastal lagoons, salt bays, marshes, lakes and park ponds, often close to people but also in some remote areas. [1]
How it behaves
Usually silent apart from hissing and barking notes, but its wingbeats make a loud whirring sound audible up to about 1.6 km (a mile) away. [1]
Feeds by dabbling, dipping its head and neck, up-ending and grazing on land; eats aquatic plants such as pondweeds and eelgrass, grass and waste grain. [1]
North American birds move only as far as needed; northeastern birds shift south or to coastal waters when breeding lakes freeze. [1]
Defends nesting areas with wings arched over the back and neck feathers fluffed while swimming forward jerkily. [1]
Where it is listed for removal or nuisance take
These authorities list this species as nuisance, invasive or unprotected wildlife that may be taken. This is not a game season.
Where legal take is listed
- Delaware — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Pennsylvania — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026-27 PA Hunting & Trapping Digest
- Virginia — nuisance or unprotected take · General Hunting Regulations | Virginia DWR
- Wyoming — other regulated take · WGFC Ch. 52 Take of Nongame Wildlife from within Wyoming (dated Sep 10 2025)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Introduced from Europe as an ornamental bird and naturalized in North America, mainly in the northeastern United States (including Chesapeake Bay and southern New England) and the Great Lakes, with records in Eastern and Western Canada, the Plains and the Southeast. Native to Eurasia.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society