---
title: "Zwarte zwaan"
description: "Cygnus atratus — Vogels. The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/nl/animal/black-swan
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Zwarte zwaan

> Cygnus atratus — Vogels. The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia.

- Scientific name: *Cygnus atratus*
- Category: `birds` (Vogels)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Meren en rivieren), `zoo` (Dierentuin en huisdieren)
- iNaturalist observations: 39579
- Wikidata: [Q131044](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131044)
- iNaturalist taxon: [6914](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/6914)

## Names

- en: Black Swan
- de: Schwarzschwan
- es: Cisne negro
- fr: Cygne noir
- nl: Zwarte zwaan
- pt: Cisne-negro
- pl: Łabędź czarny

## Countries with the most observations

AU (21426), NZ (5377), GB (1865), CN (1025), US (672), DE (618), FR (556), ES (476), SG (370), BR (362), NL (240), IT (198)

## Summary

The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent on climatic conditions. It is a large bird with black plumage and a red bill. It is a monogamous breeder, with both partners sharing incubation and cygnet-rearing duties.
Black swans can be found singly, or in loose companies numbering into the hundreds or even thousands. It is a popular bird in zoological gardens and bird collections, and escapees are sometimes seen outside their natural…

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

## Photo

![Zwarte zwaan](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/black-swan/medium.jpg)

Photo: Nikolay Martyanov · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/91632451

## Machine access

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