SongLark
Bird call
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) call
Mostly quiet; snorts and hisses on the water, and a loud, throbbing hum from its wings in flight.
Listen to the Mute Swan call
A field recording of the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) by Andrejus Gaidamavičius, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Mute Swan in wetland habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Mute Swan
These birds belong to the duck family, like the Mute Swan, so their calls can sound alike.
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Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
The classic duck's 'quack-quack-quack', loud and descending from the female; drakes give soft, rasping notes.
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Canada Goose Branta canadensis
A loud, honking 'ah-honk', given in noisy chorus from flocks on park lakes and in flight.
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Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata
Maori: putangitangi. The female's high zeek-zeek against the male's deep honk.
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Black Swan Cygnus atratus
A far-carrying musical bugle, often from a flock on the water.
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New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
Maori: papango. A soft whistle from the male; otherwise near silent.
Questions
Questions about the Mute Swan
What does the Mute Swan sound like?
Mostly quiet; snorts and hisses on the water, and a loud, throbbing hum from its wings in flight. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Mute Swan?
Mallard, Canada Goose, Paradise Shelduck, Black Swan and New Zealand Scaup sound similar.
Where can I hear the Mute Swan?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of England course.
How can I learn the Mute Swan call?
In SongLark's Birds of England course, it comes in Level 6: Water & Coast. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Mute Swan in its Birds of England course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of England, the Mute Swan comes in Level 6: Water & Coast. That Level is about park lakes, rivers and the seashore.
Learn it with these birds in Level 6 of Birds of England
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Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
A sharp, explosive 'kowk' or 'pik'; a black waterbird with a white face shield.
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Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
A harsh, croaking 'fraaank!', usually in flight; a tall grey bird standing still in shallow water.
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Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
A loud, whinnying trill, like a horse laughing, from a small dumpy bird on ponds and slow rivers.
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Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
A harsh, screeching 'kraaar' from noisy flocks on lakes, fields and coasts.
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European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
The seaside's loud, laughing 'kyow-kyow-kyow' and long calls, now also on town rooftops.
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Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
A loud, piercing 'kleep-kleep-kleep', often in excited piping duets along the shore.
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Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
A rising, bubbling 'cour-lee' that gives it its name, haunting over moors and estuaries.
Get SongLark
Learn Mute Swan in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Mute Swan.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
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- One account, every device. Your progress syncs between devices.