Just in time for Mother's Day that is... This weekend, New Jersey's Turtle Back Zoo welcomed the arrival of three white fluffy Black Necked Swan chicks.
Black Necked Swans, native to South America (including the Falkland Islands), are the largest of the species. They've got short wings but are still able to fly fast. Swan babies are called cygnets. Parents carry cygnets on their backs while swimming, which helps the parents regain the weight they lost in the process of mating, incubating and feeing their brood. Swan eggs are the biggest of any flight bird. Guess that explains how they can look this fluffy upon arrival!
These cygnets will soon turn greyish, developing blacker neck feathers in about three months. They will not sport a true white and black coat until they are two years old. Swans are herbivores and are considered vital in controlling aquatic plant life.
