The Black Swan, a familiar and graceful sight across East Gippsland’s waterways, holds a unique title as the only purely black swan species in the world.
Characterised by its striking black plumage, bright red bill, and white wing tips that reveal themselves in flight, this iconic waterbird is a staple of southern Australia’s shallow wetlands.
These birds heavily rely on larger salt, brackish, or fresh waterways, requiring at least 40 meters of clear, open water just to take off. Outside of their breeding season, Black Swans are nomadic, traveling long distances at night and resting in large flocks during the day. When airborne, they fly with their long necks fully extended, often communicating with a distinctive, musical bugle.
Using their elongated necks, Black Swans forage for aquatic plants, algae, and seagrasses in waters up to one meter deep. While they occasionally graze on land, they are notoriously clumsy walkers, preferring to remain afloat.
Winter marks the official breeding season for the species. Black Swans pair for life, constructing large nests out of reeds and grasses on shorelines, small islands, or floating in deeper water. Both adults share incubation and cygnet-rearing duties, aggressively defending their nests from potential threats. Once the young have fledged, adult swans undergo a complete moult, leaving them flightless and vulnerable for up to a month, during which they retreat to large, open waters for safety.
While Black Swans frequently share spaces with humans, experts strictly advise against feeding them bread or other processed snacks.
Bread fills their stomachs without providing vital nutrients, disrupts natural foraging behaviours, and pollutes local waterways.
In cygnets, a diet high in bread can cause rapid, unhealthy growth deformities, while mouldy bread is highly toxic and leads to fatal respiratory infections.
The Black Swan is fully protected across all Australian states and territories, with its conservation status currently listed as “of least concern”.
OUTINGS SCHEDULE
Local bird enthusiasts are invited to attend the upcoming July outings. All excursions depart from the designated meeting places at 9am.
– Monday, July 6: Nungurner Hills Angus Farm. Meeting place: Prestons Road (just off Kalimna Road), Nungurner.
– Sunday, July 12: Picnic Point Reserve. Meeting place: Parking area at the end of Bredt Street, Bairnsdale.
– Monday, July 20: Wattle Point and Blond Bay. Meeting place: Wattle Point Road, picnic area car park.
– Monday, July 27: Strathfieldsaye – Perry Bridge. Meeting place: Entry gate, corner of Strathfieldsaye Roads and Bombing Range Roads.
