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On this
picture you can see more than one beautiful black swan in one of
the numerous parks of New Zealand. When you hear swan you always
think of white, but there are not only white swans that exist.
The black swan is a magnificent bird that you will find on both
North and South Island of New Zealand. The length of a black
swan can be up to one hundred and forty two centimetre, females
black swans are usually smaller that the males. The younger
swans are usually grey in colour and become black when they are
adult. There is all together seven swan species in the world.
Normally they are white in exception of the South American
black-necked swan and the Australian Black Swan. In New Zealand
the black swan was brought there as a game bird in the year1860,
but their population spread very quickly at this time so it is
thought that may be the black swans came to New Zealand
naturally. They were imported from Australia. Black swans have
also been introduced in other countries than New Zealand. It is
said that first person having seen a black swan was Antonie Caen,
a Dutch sailor, in 1936 while he was visiting Shark Bay. In 1790
Dr John Latham was the first to give scientific description of
the black swan. In 1697 another Dutch, Willem de Vlamingh
captured in the Swan River Western Australia some black swans
but European did not believe it as the only swan they thought
that exist were white. In New Zealand black swans are mostly
gathered on the South Island on coastal lagoons and lakes,
especially in Wairapapa. On the North Island they are found at
Hawkes Bay, Roturua and Waikato. In New Zealand around five
thousand of these birds are allowed to be shot every year and
the population is around sixty thousand. The black swan main
food is weeds and algae. Swans are birds that couple for life;
the female can lay up ten eggs but usually lays five to six.
When the black swans are not in breeding time, they can travel
very long distances, they rest during day time and fly at night.
In Western Australia the black swan is considered as the state
bird. |
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