What Do Black Swans Eat?

The black swan is native to Australia. It is a large waterfowl with a curved neck and a deep-orange bill. Its plumage is largely black, as its name suggests, though the tips of the wings may carry some spots of white at the tips. The black swan is a herbivore, meaning its diet is restricted largely to vegetation such as grass and algae.

  1. Favorite Foods

    • Black swans subsist mainly on leaves, reeds and other plants found in the shallow water in which they prefer to swim. They will eat a variety of aquatic plants, but algae and duckweed are among their favorites. They occasionally eat a few insects or tiny invertebrates found in the water. However, these creatures are usually ingested only incidentally.

    Feeding Methods

    • Black swans spend most of their time in water, but do not dive for food. They "dabble" in shallow water, dipping their beaks in just enough to feed on algae and other plants near the surface. In deeper water, black swans bend forward and dip their long necks under, with their legs and tails sticking straight up. This technique, which observers call upending, allows them to grasp and pull up weeds.

    Finding Food

    • Most of the time, finding food is not a problem for the black swan. Sea grasses and other plants are usually plentiful in the shallow marshes and lakes swans most often inhabit. Sometimes, the birds will leave their aquatic homes to graze for plants on land, and they will sometimes eat seeds. They are clumsy walkers, so feeding on land is a bit difficult.

    Hand Feeding

    • In places where ducks, geese and swans often swim, people have a tendency to feed them. Black swans, like other waterfowl, usually enjoy bread and other offerings, but hand feeding is discouraged. Conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts fear that too much hand feeding will cause them to lose their instinctive abilities to forage, thereby making them dependent on humans for survival.