---
title: "Mute Swan"
description: "Cygnus olor — Birds. The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan and a member of the family Anatidae within the waterfowl order."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/mute-swan
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Mute Swan

> Cygnus olor — Birds. The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan and a member of the family Anatidae within the waterfowl order.

- Scientific name: *Cygnus olor*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Lakes & rivers)
- iNaturalist observations: 187818
- Wikidata: [Q25402](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25402)
- iNaturalist taxon: [6921](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/6921)

## Names

- en: Mute Swan
- de: Höckerschwan
- es: Cisne vulgar
- fr: Cygne tuberculé
- nl: Knobbelzwaan
- pt: Cisne-branco
- pl: Łabędź niemy

## Countries with the most observations

US (31607), GB (28784), RU (20730), DE (17092), CA (11286), FR (10106), IT (5095), AT (4324), PL (4322), CH (3868), DK (3858), UA (3849)

## Summary

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan and a member of the family Anatidae within the waterfowl order. It is native to much of Europe and parts of Asia and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and Southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Typically measuring 140 to 160 cm (55 to 63 in) in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage, with an orange beak bordered with black. It is…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mute_swan

## Photo

![Mute Swan](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/mute-swan/medium.jpg)

Photo: Andy Wilson · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/254578182

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/mute-swan?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).