Our ‘species of the day’ series is a month long feature throughout June 2011 that celebrates biodiversity in the County Borough of Bridgend, South Wales. It’s part of Wales Biodiversity Week that promotes biodiversity and its benefits throughout Wales.
Today’s local species in Bridgend is the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
The mute swan is the Uk’s only resident swan and is a common site on lakes, and slow moving rivers feeding on vegetation and insects. It has a distinctive ‘S‘ shaped neck and orange bill with a black base and is the world’s second heaviest flying bird after the kori bustard. The male mute swan is called a cobb and the female a penn and contrary to their name, they do not hiss!
BridgendCountryside.com 