Doug Gochfeld wrote: >Of doubtful origin is a Black Swan that showed up today among the 200+ Mute >Swans. A snazzy bird, whatever its origin.
Interesting snippet. I'm inclined to believe that a single Black Swan has been making near annual summer appearances on the East Pond at Jamaica Bay NWR (Queens Co.) for several years (anyone know the dates exactly?). It is indeed a 'snazzy' bird, especially when it flies revealing its gleeming white primaries and secondaries. As Doug hints, the swan's origins are unlikely to be natural (the species is endemic to Australasia, is considered a short-distance nomadic migrant and is fairly common in captivity), it is interesting to note the seasonal pattern of its arrival and the fact that the bird(s) shows no sign of captivity (bands, clipped toes etc). Moreover, the behavior often seems more like that of a wild bird than the placid rafts of Mute Swans that also gather on the pond in late summer. Readers will also remember the Whooper Swan that spent a summer on the same pond a few years back. There is wisdom in reporting exotics like this. Many species are inherently pleasing to look at and perhaps more importantly, these reports give us a sense of how many individuals are wandering around the region. Escaped Black Swans have established feral populations in several European countries as well as in New Zealand where introduced birds have been supplemented by natural occurrances. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that a feral population could establish itself on our shores as well. Heads up for a posting "Two Black Swans at Jamaica Bay" Angus WilsonNew York City/Springshttp://www.oceanwanderers.com _________________________________________________________________ Get free photo software from Windows Live http://www.windowslive.com/online/photos?ocid=PID23393::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:SI_PH_software:082009 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Temporary archive: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
