BirdsAroundWorld.comMute Swan
Cygnus olor
The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a bird found in United States, Sweden, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, and 3 more countries. Lakes, slow rivers and ponds in Europe and Asia. It eats leaves and other plant parts, insects and other small invertebrates and reptiles and frogs. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
See the Mute Swan on the 3D globe →| Scientific name | Cygnus olor |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Found in | United States, Sweden, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, and 3 more countries |
🏡 Where the Mute Swan lives
Lakes, slow rivers and ponds in Europe and Asia.
🍽️ What it eats
- 🌿 Leaves & plants80%
- 🐛 Insects & bugs10%
- 🦎 Reptiles & frogs10%
A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).
Conservation status
Hear the Mute Swan
Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC989035. Trimmed to a few seconds.
Questions about the Mute Swan
Where does the Mute Swan live?
The Mute Swan lives in United States, Sweden, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, and 3 more countries. Lakes, slow rivers and ponds in Europe and Asia.
What does the Mute Swan eat?
leaves and other plant parts (about 80%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 10%), reptiles and frogs (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.
Is the Mute Swan endangered?
There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.
More birds from Europe
Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.