Swans are the largest of all the waterfowl birds and certainly one of the most beautiful, elegant and graceful. They are also one the largest of all flying birds. Some types of swans can have a wing span of up to 10 feet. Swans can also have up to as many as 25,000 feathers. They are almost always found in the temperate zones and are thought to have originated in Europe or Eurasia. Four, possibly five species are found in the Northern Hemisphere, with only one species found in Australia and New Zealand and one species in southern South America.

Swans are often associated with love. Part of this is because of their graceful beauty and the perfect heart they form when they put their heads together. Another reason is because most swans tend to mate for life. These bonds tend to occur all year round however mating with other swans outside of the social pairing can occur without breaking the social pair bond.

Humans have long admired the beauty of the swan and have tried to copy their gracefulness in the form of the dance of ballet.
Swan Lake is probably one of the most world renown ballets of all times. As beautiful as these ballets are, the beauty of the swan cannot be completely replicated by man. Hours can be spent by a lakeside or pond watching the swans swimming, nuzzling each other or tending to their babies in the spring and summer. Nature has truly given the world a wonder to be admired in the embodiment of the magnificent swan.