It is a pretty shot. How do you tell the difference between the males and the females? They have similar coloring, don’t they?
The females wear pink booties while the males wear blue ones. 🙂
On a more serious note, there is a difference in the size of their bulbs – that black knob that sits atop their bills – with males having larger bulbs than females, especially during mating season when his bulb grows. Even still, it can be difficult to tell the difference unless both birds are in view. The white in the background are not her own feathers. That’s her mate.
Another reason I know the gender of this particular bird is because I am quite familiar with both her and her mate. They are the resident swans at Frank Melville Park in Setauket. JK.
Ah ha, interesting! So you need the pair together to tell. I didn’t think you went diving to look at their boots. 😉
It is a pretty shot. How do you tell the difference between the males and the females? They have similar coloring, don’t they?
The females wear pink booties while the males wear blue ones. 🙂
On a more serious note, there is a difference in the size of their bulbs – that black knob that sits atop their bills – with males having larger bulbs than females, especially during mating season when his bulb grows. Even still, it can be difficult to tell the difference unless both birds are in view. The white in the background are not her own feathers. That’s her mate.
Another reason I know the gender of this particular bird is because I am quite familiar with both her and her mate. They are the resident swans at Frank Melville Park in Setauket. JK.
Ah ha, interesting! So you need the pair together to tell. I didn’t think you went diving to look at their boots. 😉
Thanks!