Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba)

The Coscoroba Swan is endemic to southern South America. It breeds from southern Chile and central Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. In winter it flies north to central Chile, northern Argentina, Uruguay and the southeast tip of Brazil. Its habitat is well-vegetated swamps and lagoons. It has an ancient route to the Pantanal of Brazil and large flocks may occur in the Nhecolandia and Rio Negro regions. Males weigh 3.8–5.4 kg (8.4–11.9 lb) and females weigh 3.2–4.5 kg (7.1–9.9 lb). The length is 87.5-115 cm (34.4-45.3 in) and the wingspan is 155-160 cm (61-63 in) (3). They swan has white plumage except for black tips to the outer six primary feathers, but this black is often barely visible on the closed wing. In flight, the black wing tips are conspicuous. The bird has a red beak, legs and feet. It lacks the black mask that other swans have, where their lores are between the eyes and beak. It looks more like a goose than a swan, especially the head. The swan feeds mainly on grasses and small water plants, but also eats mussels and fish. The egg measures 82-94 x 53-67 mm, with a weight of 129-203 g. The female incubates the eggs, while the male stands guard and aggressively helps to protect the fledglings against predators after hatching. The cygnet is a patchy color, with brown and gray hues. The swan lives to @ 20 years. Its population is estimated at 10,000–25,000 birds (1,4). The swan has an extremely large range and so does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable. The population trend seems to be stable and the species is evaluated as Least Concern. It is traditionally considered as an early branch from the common ancestor leading to true geese and swans. Genetic studies suggest a phylogenetic relationship between this species and the Cape Barren goose as sister groups.[2]

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