What Is It About a Swan?

May 09, 2011

They are graceful, long-necked, heavy-bodied, big-footed birds that glide majestically when swimming. They fly with slow wingbeats and with necks outstretched. No other waterfowl moves as fast as they do on the water or in the air. They mate for life. Their young are called cygnets and emerge short-necked and thickly downed. They mature at the age of three to four years and live for about 20 years in the wild and 50 years or more in captivity. They are so regal and majestic, and they seem to just glide over the water. Still, you have to know that beneath the water they are paddling like mad and working so hard to create this idyllic scene that just makes you smile when you observe the swan.

There are people whom we all know who also have the ability to make it seem like everything is so easy, and they are just gliding along. But inside, they are paddling like mad in order to make their surroundings a better place to be.

This and just about any other interest you might have or information you might need can be found on our website. Go to Online Resources, click on Research Databases, and then click under the subject of Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. You will find Encyclopedia Britannica, Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, and World Book Online, as well as dictionaries and a Visual Thesaurus. If you need information or definitions, this is the place to go online.

June S.
Claycomo Branch