By
Nick Enoch
07:07 EST, 5 June 2012
|
10:12 EST, 5 June 2012
This new arrival at an ancient swannery is hoping to stand out from the crowd.
The jet black swan has mysteriously arrived – without an invitation – at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset and set up home with the resident 600 mute swans, which are all white.
Visitors to the 1,000-year-old attraction have been easily able to spot the large black bird that sticks out like a sore thumb.
But if the newcomer is hoping to make friends with the native swans then it is going the wrong way about it as it is aggressive and dominant by nature.
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The jet black swan has arrived at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset and set up home with the resident 600 mute swans – which are all white
If the uninvited newcomer is hoping to make friends with the native swans then it is going the wrong way about it as it is aggressive and dominant by nature
The black swan – Cygnus atratus – is native to Australia and not indigenous to the UK.
But over the last 20 years, they have been imported here and put in private herds.
As their numbers have expanded, the odd one or two have escaped from captivity or been released, which is illegal in the UK.
BLACK SWANS IN ECONOMICS
A black swan event in economics is something unexpected which has a disproportionately large effect on financial markets.
The term was coined by Nassim Nicholas Tahib in his influential 2004 book.
Black swan theory refers to events, such as the 9/11 terror attacks, which could not have been prevented or predicted yet alter the course of history.
After the incident, ‘black swan’ events are often come to be characterised as predictable – even though no one foresaw them.
Taleb argues in his bestselling book that banks and major firms should be robust and financially secure enough to withstand these unpredictable events.
Black swans are known to kill their young and this specimen’s arrival at Abbotsbury couldn’t have come at a worse time as it is in the middle of the hatching season there.
Staff have vowed to catch the interloper and find it a new home if it looks like it will pose a threat to the baby swans.
They are also on the lookout for a second black swan as a breeding pair could cause havoc with Britain’s wildlife and environment.
Steve Graves, the deputy swanherd,
said: ‘Black swans were brought over from Australia after they were
discovered but they have mainly been kept in captivity.
‘But
in the last 20 years, their numbers in the wild have grown after they
have escaped or been released and have started breeding.
‘The mute swans are avoiding the new arrival. Though the black swan is smaller, they are dominant and aggressive.
‘They
out-compete the mute swans and have been known to kill their young. If
we were having problems, we would catch the black swans and find them
new homes.
‘Black swans
aren’t allowed to be in the wild. If this pair had eggs, we would have
to seize them and cage them and prevent them from flying away.’
The black swan – Cygnus atratus – is native to Australia and not indigenous to the UK
Staff have vowed to catch the interloper and find it a new home if it looks like it will pose a threat to the baby swans
Abbotsbury Swannery has been tending the native species – Cygnus olor in Latin – since the 11th century.
Documents recording the hatchings go back to 1393, while swans have been herded there for 1,000 years.
Unlike most swans, these are not owned by the Queen as they were sold by Henry VIII to the Earls of Abbotsbury.
Traditionally, the first swan of the year hatching at Abbotsbury marks the beginning of summer.
Abbotsbury Swannery has been tending the native species – Cygnus olor in Latin – since the 11th century. Seen here in 1936
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I remember when Britain had the same ratio of colours within its population 🙂 Happy days.
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Haha. Now those are actual “white” and “bla ck” animals. People should look at them and realize how ridiculous it is when humans give the same description to other humans. Ever see a human who was actually “white” or “bla ck”??
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That is one very unusual but beautiful swan.
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I guess that’s Carl Popper’s hypothesis well and truly busted.
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I don’t know if anyone’s noticed but his beak is a different colour.
– Tinode, Rayleigh,Essex
Tinode, I think that you obviously haven’t noticed that “He” is a she; a pen and not a cob. 😉
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I suggest you get rid of. We have so many here and they have just caught over 200 from the harbour here where they do so much damage. They really are nasty.
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Its not 1948. Where is his visa ?
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Ive visited this swannary. It really is amazing. So peaceful and tranquil 🙂
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I can’t wait to see a beautiful cross-breed 🙂
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I can’t wait to see a beautiful cross-breed 🙂
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