12 Bad (And Good) Facts About Swans You Might Not Know

Beth Elias
Updated May 20, 2020 24.5K views

Swans are typically considered symbols of grace and beauty, but they have an ugly side; swans are mean, and sustaining injuries from the sometimes vicious birds is more common than you'd expect. Most of us have seen the image of two swans with their heads bowing together in the shape of a heart, and while they do mate for life, these aggressive birds aren't exactly romantic. Why are swans so hostile? And can the massive, territorial birds cause bodily injury?

Turns out, there's plenty you probably don't know about swans. They're extremely intelligent, and they're not afraid to defend their nests. In fact, a series of swans in England have been terrorizing rowers for nearly a decade. Next time you're at a lake or river, keep an eye out for these clever but inimical creatures.

  • A Swan Once Drowned A Man

    A Swan Once Drowned A Man
    Photo: LHG Creative Photography / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    A 37-year-old Illinois man drowned in 2012 when a swan tipped over his canoe. Witnesses claimed that the swan prevented the man from swimming to safety. Experts said that the bird was likely defending its nest, but the man's widow sued the property management company for $50,000 for "knowingly keeping dangerous animals on the premises."

  • Swans Can Hurt You, But They Probably Won't

    Swans Can Hurt You, But They Probably Won't
    Photo: wwarby / flickr / CC-BY 2.0

    With a wingspan of around seven feet, swans are huge, and while they can harm you, they probably aren't going to kill you or even break bones. Experts say that the hissing and wing flapping are mostly for show and that swans pose no real threat to the average adult.

    Most reports of swans hurting people occur when the animals are provoked or antagonized; swan injuries are typically the most severe when the animal hits someone with its wing joint, rather than biting or pecking. The majority of birds will fly toward a perceived threat to defend their nests, but most birds aren't 30 pounds, so few people consider the consequences of, say, a crow becoming angry.

  • Don't Mess With A Swan During Nesting Season

    Don't Mess With A Swan During Nesting Season
    Photo: Lorianne DiSabato / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Although swans typically aren't looking for a fight, male swans aggressively defend their nests during breeding season, which runs from April through July. They're pretty fearless about it, too. Not only do swans chase people, but they also rush geese, foxes, and even canoes.

  • Get To Know Mr. Asbo, England's Swan Villain

    Get To Know Mr. Asbo, England's Swan Villain
    Photo: <p&p>photo / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Mr. Asbo began his reign of terror in April 2010 on the River Cam in England, when he began repeatedly attacking rowers. Mr. Asbo's attacks, called "drone style" by the locals, injured multiple people. During a student rowing race, a marshal was hired specifically to protect the students from Mr. Asbo. The swan is aptly named after the acronym for anti-social behavior order, a misdemeanor in the UK for conducting oneself inappropriately.

    After two years of attacking rowers, Mr. Asbo was finally relocated in 2012. A wildlife expert said that Mr. Asbo felt threatened by the rowers in the narrow river and is no longer attacking anyone in his new environment. He also had his wings clipped, just in case.

  • Now There's Asboy, Who's Even Worse Than Mr. Asbo

    Now There&#39;s Asboy, Who&#39;s Even Worse Than Mr. Asbo
    Photo: Photophr33k / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    England may have rid itself of Asbo, but Asboy took his place in 2014. Just like Mr. Asbo, Asboy attacks rowers who dare enter his territory. Asboy flies into river-goers, bites chain-link fences, and pursues watercraft.

    Unsurprisingly, Asboy became somewhat of a tourist attraction, with people coming to the river to watch his antics and snap photos. There is also an Asbaby now, adding to the new generation of mean swans who carry on Asbo's legacy.

  • The Swan Upping Is An Amazing English Tradition

    The Swan Upping Is An Amazing English Tradition
    Photo: Lisa Lawley / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

    In England, all of the swans are counted each July in a process called the Swan Upping. The Queen owns all of the swans along the River Thames, and it's a tradition that began in the 12th century when the birds were a food source for the rich. The Queen's Swan Warden and the Royal Swan Uppers run the show. When the Uppers are ready to grab a swan, they yell, "All up!" and capture the bird. The swan is inspected, and any swans who are ill or injured are nursed back to health.

    The English take the Swan Upping very seriously. The Crown asks that photographers don't take photos of swans doing anything violent and that the press doesn't portray the Upping in a negative light; England's swans have an better PR team than most American celebrities.

  • Swans Can Get Lead Poisoning

    Swans Can Get Lead Poisoning
    Photo: ajmatthehiddenhouse / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0

    In the 1980s, the swan population in England declined. During the Swan Upping, researchers discovered that the birds were becoming ill after eating lead fishing weights. Because England clearly cares about its swans very much, the weights were promptly banned, and the swan population has since flourished.

  • Sometimes Mute Swans Are Managed Lethally

    Sometimes Mute Swans Are Managed Lethally
    Photo: gizmo-the-bandit / flickr / CC-BY 2.0

    Because mute swans aren't a native species in America, some governments choose to manage their populations by killing the birds. For example, Ohio's swan management plan notes that mute swans damage their environments and chase off trumpeter swans, which are native species. Given these factors, Ohio manages mute swans with "humane lethal methods."

    The state of New York actually changed their lethal mute swan management policy after public outcry. Prior to the change, the state more or less wanted to completely eradicate mute swans. Now, the plan calls for non-lethal management.

  • Swan Family Dynamics Are Pretty Sweet

    Swan Family Dynamics Are Pretty Sweet
    Photo: eltpics / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0

    Typically only one swan pair will nest on a body of water, and their territory can range from six to 150 acres. Their nests may be up to 11 feet in diameter. As an added security measure, the nest is surrounded by a 20 to 30 foot ditch filled with water to keep predators at bay. While the female nests, the male protects the area. Baby swans are called cygnets, and they ride on their mother's back. In the beginning stages of life, they can gain up to 20% of their body weight per day. The cygnets don't learn to fly until they're about three months old. 

    The parents distance themselves after a year when it's time to lay more eggs. However, the siblings stay together for another year. The cygnets remember their parents and their nesting area — some return after the breeding season is over, since their family bond is so strong.

  • Swans Aren't Eco-Friendly

    Swans Aren't Eco-Friendly
    Photo: *_* / flickr / CC-BY 2.0

    Part of the reason some state governments in the U.S. lethally manage mute swan populations is because they destroy their environment. Building huge nests requires uprooting vegetation, and mute swans eat a lot — one swan can eat four to eight pounds of vegetation in just one day. Additionally, mute swans, with their aggressive behavior during nesting season, chase native species out of the area and even displace other birds from their nests.

  • Mating For Life Isn't As Romantic As You Think

    Mating For Life Isn&#39;t As Romantic As You Think
    Photo: pipilongstockings / flickr / CC-BY 2.0

    We hate to break it to you, but swans don't mate for life because they've found their soulmate or one true love. The birds mates for life so that the pair can raise as many babies as possible. Swans learn from each time they raise a nest of cygnets, much like humans do: the way a couple parents the first child usually isn't the way they parent the fourth. Monogamy has additional benefits, such as a lower risk of sexually transmitted disease — after all, there's no Planned Parenthood for swans — and increased protection from predators.

    In a study that's been ongoing since 1963, only three pairs of swans have separated out of the 10,000 swans in the study. Couples are typically driven apart only by a bad breeding season or nesting failure.

  • The Phrase "Swan Song" Is A Myth

    The Phrase &#34;Swan Song&#34; Is A Myth
    Photo: W9NED / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0

    The term swan song, meaning someone's last performance or work before death, is misleading. On the contrary, swans, besides hissing at perceived threats, barely make any noise. One story from Aesop's Fables titled "The Swan and the Goose" refers to a swan singing before its impending death. But swan songs actually don't sound very melodic.