Instinct
by Kathy Bassett
Title
Instinct
Artist
Kathy Bassett
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Together forever. The fascinating Trumpeter Swans in the interior of British Columbia.Trumpeter Swans often mate for life, and both parents participate in raising their young, but primarily the female incubates the eggs. Most pair bonds are formed when swans are 4 to 7 years old, although some pairs do not form until they are nearly 20 years old. "Divorces" have been known between birds, in which case the mates will be serially monogamous, with mates in differing breeding seasons. Occasionally, if his mate dies, a male Trumpeter Swan may not pair again for the rest of his life.Most egg laying occurs between late April and May. The female lays 3�12 eggs, with 4 to 6 being average, in a mound of plant material on a small island, a beaver or muskrat lodge, or a floating platform on a clump of emergent vegetation. The same location may be used for several years and both members of the pair help build the nest.The nest consists of a large, open bowl of grasses, sedges and various aquatic vegetation and have ranged in diameter from 1.2 to 3.6 m (3.9 to 12 ft), the latter after repeated uses.The incubation period is 32 to 37 days, mainly by the female, although occasionally by the male as well. The young are able to swim within two days and usually are capable of feeding themselves after at most two weeks. The fledging stage is reached at roughly 3 to 4 months. While nesting, Trumpeter Swans are territorial and harass other animals, including conspecifics, who enter the area of their nest.
Uploaded
January 31st, 2014
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