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Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba)

Trilha da Figueira - Tavares, RS, Brazil.

 

The species is placed in the monotypic genus Coscoroba. It's traditionally considered as an early branch from the common ancestor leading to true geese and swans.

 

It is the smallest of the birds called "swans", but still a large species of waterfowl. Males weigh 3.8–5.4 kg (8.4–11.9 lb) and females weigh 3.2–4.5 kg (7.1–9.9 lb). The length is from 87.5 to 115 cm (34.4 to 45.3 in) and the wingspan is 155 to 160 cm (61 to 63 in). They have white plumage except for black tips to the outer six primary feathers, although this black is often barely visible on the closed wing. In flight, the black wing tips are conspicuous. The bird has a red beak, legs and feet. Visually there's no sexual dimorphism.

 

The species breeds in South America from southern Chile and central Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. In winter it flies north to central Chile, northern Argentina, Uruguay and the southeast tip of Brazil.

 

Known in Brazil as "capororoca".

 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Anseriformes

Family: Anatidae

Subfamily: Anserinae

Genus: Coscoroba L. Reichenbach, 1853

Species: C. coscoroba (Molina, 1782)

Binomial name: Coscoroba coscoroba

 

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Uploaded on May 14, 2017
Taken on May 2, 2017