Penny, Ashbridge’s female mute swan (Cygnus olor) communicates with her mate, Tycho, last week. © BCP 2010
Penny and her long-time mate, Tycho, are mute swans (Cygnus olor). Don’t know why they’re called mute; they’re anything but. Perhaps it’s because the male and female of the species speak to each and their cygnets so softly. You have to strain to hear what they’re saying, especially when you contrast their vocalizations to the decibel level of their avian cousins, the trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator.) But I’ve spent countless hours watching Penny and Tycho, alone and with their babies, and they are in constant contact with each other vocally.
Above is photo I’m posting just because I caught Penny in the act of communicating with Tycho. Since taking this picture, I realized that a video of their constant whufflings and snorts to each other would be more effective in putting the lie to the mute part of their species name. I wonder if Santa will bring me a new video camera for Christmas?
© BCP 2010
(Note: Wild About The City is in technical Limbo. Serious computer malfunctions — including a devastating crash that wiped out thousands of pictures — and camera problems have kept WATC away from the keyboard and posting new items. Hope to have problems resolved soon, and get back to posting more often.)
1 comment