Did you know Mute Swans are not native to our area? All of the Mute Swans in North America are descendants of swans imported from Europe from the mid 1800’s through early 1900’s to adorn large estates, city parks, and zoos. Escapees established breeding populations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Pacific Northwest of the United States. They are very aggressive when breeding, they mate for life, are very territorial, and can eat a lot of water vegetation – up to 8 pounds per day!

Hans Christian Andersen’s fairly tale, The Ugly Duckling, tells the story of a Mute Swan that hatches in a clutch of duck eggs but goes on to become a beautiful swan.