UKBirds

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnus

The Whooper Swan (pronounced hooper), is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan.

An old name for the Whooper Swan is Elk; it is so called in Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithology of 1676.

The Whooper Swan is similar in appearance to the Bewick's Swan. However, it is larger, at a length of 140-165 cm (55-65 in) and a wingspan of 205-275 centimetres (81-108 in). Weight typically is in the range of 7.4-14 kilograms (16-31 lb), with an average of 9.8-11 kg (22-24 lb) for males and 8.2-9.2 kg (18-20 lb) for females. The verified record mass was 15.5 kg (34 lb) for a wintering male from Denmark. It is considered to amongst the heaviest flying birds.

It has a more angular head shape and a more variable bill pattern that always shows more yellow than black (Bewick's Swans have more black than yellow).