This black swan nesting on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin provided plenty of interest for Canberrans and tourists yesterday. Black swans (Cygnus atratus) – subs: cap C and lower case a – usually nest in June and July. This one has the lake’s stone embankment to protect it from the winter westerlies and has a splendid view to the National Library. Black swans usually lay between five and eight eggs which take about 35 days to hatch. The swans will defend their nest, eggs and young ferociously and will not hesitate to attack humans who come to close.
The cygnets stay with their parents for nine months. Usually only one or two of the five to eight hatched will survive. Black swans mate for life. The female does most of the egg sitting while the male protects, but the male does some sitting. The cygnets swim almost immediately after hatching, but they are easy game for predators when they are small and the parents have too many to protect.
Black swans are native to Western Australia but they have been taken throughout Australia and New Zealand and even in the northern hemisphere where they have established themselves.
On the Canberra coat of arms the black swan represents the indigenous population and the white swan the European settlers.