Black Swan.FZ200

With its elegant long neck, the black swan (Cygnus atratus) is New Zealand’s largest wetland bird, around 1.2 metres long and weighing 5–6 kilograms. On the water, it appears all black with a bright red bill; however, in flight the bird shows wide white wing margins. It has a bugle-like call, and hisses to defend its nest. Native or introduced? About 100 black swans were brought to the South Island from Australia in the 1860s, and the species has traditionally been regarded as introduced. However, numbers have increased faster than expected, suggesting more birds arrived independently – in which case it should be considered a self-introduced native.