The whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), also called the common swan, is a species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. It is native to northern Eurasia, breeding throughout most of Russia, northern Scandinavia, and eastern Iceland and wintering in select locations ranging from the British Isles to Japan. There is a year-round population in western Iceland. They grow up to 5.4 feet long and have wingspans of up to nine feet. The largest confirmed specimen weighed about thirty-four pounds, making them one of the heaviest flying birds. Whooper swans feed on aquatic plants and tiny aquatic organisms and spend most of their time in wetlands. The International Union for Conservation of Nature ranks their conservation status as Least Concern.
