|
|
 |
 |
Faunal Emblem (bird) of the State of Western Australia
http://www.wa.gov.au/emblems/swan.html
Fill in the missing words.
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
The Black Swan was first recorded by the ............................... navigator Vlamingh in January
1697 in the Swan ............................... . Although it is to be found throughout
............................... , this graceful bird has been regarded with special affection by many
generations of ............................... Australians and has long been used to
............................... things Western Australian. The ............................... is black, often with
a brownish ............................... , but the flight quills are ............................... white and very
prominent when the bird is seen in flight. The ............................... is red with a white band near
the ............................... and the legs and feet are dark ............................... . Males and females
are similar in ............................... and appearance but males can be identified in flight by their
neck and, when swimming, hold their ............................... more erect. The bird's voice
can often be heard at ............................... and is a musical honk or ............................... sound.
Nests are a bulky collection of ............................... and rushes found in fresh or brackish
............................... and lakes. Between four to eight ............................... are laid and these are
pale ............................... , becoming paler as incubation proceeds. ............................... takes
thirty-five days. ............................... lore tells how the family ancestors of a section of the