New member with question?

[Tokka]

Hello

my name is George, just want to say Hi.

Also i took a picture of what i think is a black neck swan, but not sure.


If not a black neck swan? can you enlighten me thanks.

[Lucio]

Hi George, welcome to WAB, I'm new here too. I think what you've seen is a black swan. They are native to Australia and have been brought to the UK as ornamental birds. They have become increasingly common here as many have escaped to the wild and inhabit similar areas to mute swans. Nevertheless, this is a most interesting, fairly unusual sighting!

Lucio.

[Jason Green]

Well, welcome to WAB, both!

As Lucio says, it's a Black Swan

Take care,

Jason

[darrenm]

there are a few Black Swan in and around the Nottingham area now with birds at Arnot Hill Park and Colwick Park and also thriving populations of Red-crested Pochard at both which have been released. My only hope is these species do not begin to affect native species through compettion for food and nesting sites.

[Tokka]

Just like to thank you for your responses.

Being new to bird watching i will no doubt have a lot more questions in future?
I suppose a bit of research would help, but why research when you have the experts right here on WAB.

I think that the black swan is a strikingly beautiful bird.

[mrbright]

hi all yet another newcomer here, beautiful bird without a doubt, how can they be so opposite from our swans, almost negatives.

[aeshna5]

Black Swan as others have said. Black-necked Swan is a totally different species from South America which as it says on the can has a black neck (+head) with a white body. Seen in collections, but much rarer as an escape.

[thebeard]

Originally Posted by darrenm

there are a few Black Swan in and around the Nottingham area now with birds at Arnot Hill Park and Colwick Park and also thriving populations of Red-crested Pochard at both which have been released. My only hope is these species do not begin to affect native species through compettion for food and nesting sites.

the ones at arnot have been there for years to my knowledge and i'm not sure if they've bred (not even sure if they're male and female) as for the one at colwick i'm pretty sure its solitary.

RC pochards are becoming more and more frequent across notts, being boosted by collections and other escapes, which could become more of a threat for sure

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by thebeard

the ones at arnot have been there for years to my knowledge and i'm not sure if they've bred (not even sure if they're male and female) as for the one at colwick i'm pretty sure its solitary.

RC pochards are becoming more and more frequent across notts, being boosted by collections and other escapes, which could become more of a threat for sure

RC Pochards are a Eurasian species which does turn up as a genuine wild bird, though most of the birds encountered probably are derived from captive stock.I'm not sure what threat they might pose?

[Tokka]

When i first saw the black swan, i went home and tried to find it in a book of British birds, but only found the two species of white swans and the black neck swan, that's why i posed the original question.

I would like now to hunt down the black neck swan, I live on the outskirts of London, wheres the nearest place to go looking?