British Birds: Pictures of Mute Swan: How Swans Attack: Pictures of Busking Swan Pictures

How Swans Attack

The Mute Swan: Grace, Elegance, Power & Aggression

Mute swan in busking pose

Bird pictures by AnnMackieMiller

This photo journal features unique pictures of a male Mute swan in attack mode which is called busking. The mute swan is a common sight in rivers, canals and lakes throughout Britain. Everyone likes to see a swan in full sail with wings extended. However, how many birders are aware that this is actually a threat pose?

Called busking, raising the wings issues a threat to intruders on his territory. When the swan draws its neck back and down, he is in full attack pose and anything in his path best get out of the way. Drawing the neck down has two purposes. Firstly it protects the neck and secondly it increases powerful forward momentum. It is only when one sees a swan in full attack, powering through the water after his victim, that you realise how fast and how strong he really is. What looks all grace and elegance is in fact an extremely powerful beast.

The Mute swan featured in this photo journal is nicknamed Grumps and can be seen on other pages

Mute swan offers a warning
Mute swan showing that powerful neck

Pictures of Mute Swan in Full Attack Mode

You have probably seen swans with their wings raised like sails - it is called busking and is usually a warning to behave yourself. When they go into full attack mode there is no mistaking it. They will raise their neck as a first warning. If that doesn't get results they will go into full attack mode.

First they raise their wings, then draw the head and neck back into the body. This protects the neck and also increases their power through the water.

Swan with wings raised in threat pose

He draws his neck back between his wings

Drawing his head back to protect his neck

Mute Swan in Attack Mode

Head and neck completely retracted: Mute Swan in full attack mode

This photo journal by wildlife photographer AnnMackieMiller features unique pictures of a male Mute swan in attack modes which are called busking. The mute swan is a common sight in rivers, canals and lakes throughout Britain. Everyone likes to see a swan in full sail with wings extended. However, how many birders are aware that this is actually a threat pose?

The Mute swan featured in this photo journal is nicknamed Grumps and can be seen on other pages.

Information about Mute swans

Mute swans are classed as wildfowl (waterfowl) and belong to the Anatidae family. The Latin name is Cygnus olor and it isn't in fact mute. It is less vocal than other swans but has several calls including a sort of coughing snort and of course a hiss to warn if you are too close to its cygnets.

The adults are pure white with black from the eyes to the top of the orange bill. At the top of the beak is a pronounced knob that is larger in the male than the female. It is also larger again during the breeding season. They have huge black paddles for feet and can often be seen resting one on their flank while floating. They stand about 4 foot high when on land although they prefer the water, their weight and bulk making them rather clumsy on their feet. They are around 25-30 lbs in weight and have a huge wingspan of 6 foot. They are one of the heaviest birds in flight and have a distinctive wing noise when aloft.

Males are called cobs, females are called pens and the young are cygnets. In urban settings it is not uncommon to find mute swans feeding from the hand. our local swan has been known to knock on the window of the barges moored on the canal for breakfast. Their normal food however is vegetation and acquatic plants that they reach at the bottom of canals and rivers with their long necks.