British Swans
Four swan species occasionally visit Britain, so similar in white plumage that they are told apart chiefly by the bill and convolutions of the trachea, the tame swan showing a reddish orange bill with black base and knob, the Hooper an orange base and black tip, Bewick’s a smaller oval orange spot, and the Polish a wholly white plumage at all ages. They winter on coasts, lochs, and rivers, breed mostly in northern Europe, and accommodate readily to artificial waters.
- Hooper or Wild Swan (Cygnus ferus)
- Mute or Tame Swan (Cygnus olar)
- Polish Swan (Cygnus immutibilis)
- Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus Bewickii)
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