How do Swans Sleep?

It’s about Black Swans and how they sleep. I know.  You are probably thinking I have lost the plot.  I know I post strange things from time to time, and this might be one of the strangest.  But it started like this.

My “home” for the moment is a unit, a short distance from the waterfront at Deception Bay, Queensland.  All sorts of birds come and go, but recently there has been a group of black swans.  Yes, black swans do live in the region.  We see them in the sea, on the rivers or in lakes in the area.  I didn’t know that black swans can sleep as they float.

Swans Sleeping – it looks like they are dead!

One day I saw them all looking a bit odd.  Were the the black swans “fishing” with their neck and heads in the water?  Or were the swans floating on the water and sleeping with their necks buried in the feathers on the back?  Were they dead? I couldn’t tell initially, until one of the black swans lifted its head.

So I hunted on Google for some answers about black swans and their sleeping habits.  Yes, they can sleep on the water, or on land, even standing on one leg!!

Are Black Swans native to Australia?

Black swans are, and the white ones are native to countries in the northern hemisphere.  Generally, we don’t see white ones here, though I know one hotel does have white swans in their garden.

Today – Only Three and One may have a Sore Foot?

I think they are beautiful birds, but they can get a bit cranky, so it is best to give them a wide berth.  They don’t have teeth, but can cause a painful nip.

What do they eat?  Well, out on the sea they eat bugs and insects and some seaweed.

The first few days there were about eight swans just floating around quietly in close proximity.  Today there were only three.