Description
The Coscoroba Swan has an all-white plumage except for black wing tips which can be seen when in flight, brown eyes, a bright reddish-pink beak and reddish-pink legs and feet. Both sexes are alike. The body resembles a very small swan, the head looks like a goose, and the beak is similar to a duck. The Coscoroba Swan is a distant relation to the Swan and is sometimes linked to the Whistling Duck. They have a loud call ‘cos-cor-oo’ which is how they get their name. Unlike the larger swans, the smaller Coscoroba Swan can take-off without having to run across the water.
Size
Typical Adult is 90-115cm (35-45in).
Food
Aquatic plants, insects, grazes on grasses, also mussels and fish.
Habitat/Range
Well-vegetated swamps, lagoons, and lakes in South America – southern Chile and central Argentina, south to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. Wintering further north in central Chile, northern Argentina, south-east Brazil and Uraguay.
Breeding
July to October or later further south.
Eggs
4 to 7, creamy-white colour.
