Argentine Ornithology, Volume 2 (of 2) A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. by W. H. Hudson & Philip Lutley Sclater

Author:W. H. Hudson & Philip Lutley Sclater
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Birds -- Argentina
Published: 2012-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

339. COSCOROBA CANDIDA (Vieill.).

(COSCOROBA SWAN.)

Cygnus coscoroba, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 512 (Paraná); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 129; iid. P. Z. S. 1876, p. 371; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 191 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 400 (Centr. Patagonia); Gibson, Ibis, 1880, p. 36 (Buenos Ayres). Coscoroba Candida, Reichenb. Nat. Syst. p. x.

Description.—White; tips of the primaries black; bill coral-red; feet dull red: whole length 40·0 inches, wing 17·5, tail 5·8. Female similar.

Hab. Patagonia, Chili, Argentina, and Paraguay.

This Swan is considerably smaller than the black-necked species, and also inferior in beauty on account of its shorter neck. It is, nevertheless, a very handsome bird, being entirely of a pure white colour except the tips of the primaries, which are black. The beak and legs are bright rosy red. In its habits, language, and flight it also differs much from Cygnus nigricollis, and the country people call it Ganso (Goose), probably on account of its goose-like habit of sometimes feeding away from the water, or because its flesh has the flavour of Wild Goose. As a rule they go in small parties of five or six individuals, but sometimes flocks numbering two or three hundred are seen in the cold season. Their migrations are very irregular, and sometimes they are excessively abundant in a district one year and absent from it the next. When disturbed they utter a loud musical trumpeting cry, in three notes, the last with a falling inflection; and their wings being much longer proportionately than in the black-necked species, they rise with greater ease and have a much freer and an almost soundless flight.

Concerning their breeding-habits, Mr. Gibson observes that the nest is usually placed on the ground at some distance from the water. It is about a foot and a half high, made of mud and rushes; the hollow, which is rather deep, is lined with dry grass.

The eggs are eight or nine in number; smooth, white, and rounder than those of Cygnus nigricollis.

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