We discussed this once, and now we’ll talk about a more serious, established concept.

The term "Black Swan" refers to certain critical events that cannot be predicted, but which nevertheless fundamentally change the course of history. Black swans can represent both positive events (for example, the emergence of the Internet) and negative ones (the rise to power of Adolf Hitler).

“Black Swan” is also known as a Latin expression - the oldest known quote comes from the pen of the ancient Roman satirical poet Juvenal - “a rare bird on earth is like a black swan” (lat. rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno)

The term “black swan” has become firmly entrenched in the consciousness of our society after the publication of Nassim Taleb’s book “The Black Swan. Under the sign of unpredictability." Although this metaphor has been known in philosophy for quite some time, it was Taleb who began to use it to refer to rare and unexpected events with significant consequences. At the same time, “black swans” can be not only negative events, but also represent unpredictable “luck”

Let's find out more about all this...

In the Middle Ages, the very assumption of the existence of a black swan in nature looked so absurd that it became a metaphor for something absolutely impossible. Until 1697, it was believed that swans were only white, but a Dutch expedition led by Willem de Vlaminck discovered a population of black swans in Western Australia. The black swan now appears on the flag of Northern Australia. The discovery of the first black swan was a big surprise for ornithologists.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb (b. 1960) is a mathematician, trader, businessman and philosopher, originally from Lebanon, now living in the United States. Nassim Taleb's Orthodox family was deported from the Lebanese city of Amiun in 1975 after the outbreak of civil war. Taleb's ancestors in the past held high positions in the Lebanese government; his father was an oncologist and was engaged in anthropological research.

The book Black Swan, published in 2007, has sold more than 300,000 copies. It spent seventeen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into 27 languages. In October 2009, according to the magazine "Secret of the Firm", the book topped the list of Top 5 business bestsellers.

In recent years, humanity has experienced a series of severe upheavals. Such as September 11, 2001, the global financial crisis, the war in Ossetia, in Ukraine. All of them, which seemed absolutely impossible until they happened, now seem natural to us. It is precisely such unpredictable events that Taleb proposes to call Black Swans. According to his authoritative conviction, it is precisely such events that leave a mark both in history as a whole and in the life of each individual person.

Within the life of one individual, Taleb proposes to conduct an imaginary experiment: look at your life and study the role of such unpredictable events with large consequences in it. It is worth remembering the moment of choosing a profession, meeting a life partner, betrayal, expulsion from the homeland, sudden enrichment or ruin. Could you have planned these things? How often do you look forward to such moments in your life? There is a saying: “If you want to make God laugh, tell God about your plans,” which is exactly about this.

The essence of the question is this: this is not an expected event that cannot be predicted. In contrast to this concept, there is the term White Swan - an event that is more or less predictable. For example, experts predict what will happen to oil in 20 years - this is the White Swan, but how much it will cost in a year is impossible to predict. Or a prediction that Medvedev or Putin, or even Prokhorov will become the president of the country - these are predictable situations, with varying degrees of error. Was it possible to predict Yeltsin’s statement on the eve of 2000 about relinquishing his presidential powers? This is not a predictable situation.

Yes, after, it fit perfectly into the logic, but before, it simply couldn’t come to mind. The meaning of the Black Swan is that, as a rule, it is not subject to human control, despite the fact that it, like a different format of events on earth (together with the white swan), is completely a real thing. The black swan is taking place. Human life has always been determined by the degree of predictability. The more unpredictable it is, the more interesting it is. Of course, to a certain extent, because a completely unpredictable life is terrible.

But the more predictable it becomes, the more boring it becomes. And so on in a circle. This means that our lives are shaped by two trends: white and black swans. The white swan allows a person not to fall into despondency from hopelessness, and therefore he is proud of himself for his ability to predict. The black swan leaves no chance for a person to feel omnipotent. And if we remove one of these supports, our life as we live will turn into nothing. We will turn into either animals or gods. And the earth, as you know, was created for people.

So, the Black Swan cannot be predicted, it must be understood and expected. Expect that the unexpected can always happen.

Financial experts find themselves vulnerable to black swans time after time. The mortgage crisis destroyed thousands of businesses and brought entire countries to their knees. Companies must have a backup plan to be less fragile. Disasters, no matter how incredible they may seem, must be planned for. Not in any specific way, but by asking the only correct question “what if?”

By their very nature, black swans cannot be predicted, because such events have never happened before by definition. However, it is possible to study how organizations, peoples, or survivors of disasters dealt with their consequences. Such analysis can help prepare companies to build strategies to help them get back on their feet as quickly and with minimal disruption as possible after a disaster.

The theory of expecting the unexpected is not prophetic, but it has had the widest resonance in history and philosophy. Taleb made many small bets on incredible events and became rich because... some of them nevertheless occurred. The basic principles of his Black Swan theory include three main criteria.

Let's list them and evaluate them:

1. The event is unexpected.

Before Bitcoin, history did not know a currency that did not have any nation behind it and the transfer of which was not based on trust. Before the advent of the Internet, this was generally impossible. For some time, outside the small community of cryptologists, this idea was meaningless and did not find understanding on the part of the government and banking institutions. It never occurred to anyone to control or try to stop Bitcoin - it was simply not taken seriously. And then it was too late.

First criterion: Yes.

2. The event has a big impact.

By now, the currency has reached a peak total value of about $12 billion. That's only about 2.5% of Google's search engine company value. However, the vast majority of countries are now aware of Bitcoin, and many have had their local banking systems issue warnings or bans on its use. Bitcoin has gained an army of global supporters, and a close-knit community has formed around it. It includes politicians, bankers, regulators, investors and scientists trying to understand it, control it, profit from it and use it as a catalyst to change the world.

Second criterion: Yes.

3. After an event has already occurred, it is retrospectively given a rational explanation - as if it was expected.

If we consider two well-known Black Swans, we can, in hindsight, explain them from a rational point of view. When it comes to the Internet, considering how many personal computers were purchased in the 80s and early 90s, it is clear that they would eventually be linked together to deliver email and share news.

In the case of 9/11, in retrospect, "experts" connected the dots of rising anti-Americanism in radical parts of the Muslim world and suddenly "remembered" the failed attempt to blow up the World Trade Center with a car bomb in an underground parking lot several years earlier, and it became "obvious" to them. that the same thing was going to happen again.

Has Bitcoin ever been analyzed rationally through the lens of history? But are we already at the point where we have enough data for such analysis? There is probably no jury yet that could evaluate this. Bitcoin is still in its infancy and time will judge where this experiment will fit in the annals of history.

Third criterion: unknown.

However, it was perhaps the Black Swan that gave birth to Bitcoin: the mortgage crisis that rocked the entire banking industry. The bankers understood perfectly well that this was a vicious practice - giving housing ownership and rent to everyone. But this was not their problem, since they sold loans and enriched themselves at the expense of other people's problems. When loans stopped being repaid on time, it created a chain reaction that spread to large insurance agencies and investment companies - all of which led to the debt abyss.

Of course, looking back, it is OBVIOUS that this was bound to happen. That's what credit reports are for. Loans that stop paying off are bad for everyone. And of course, after the fact, an army of critics in suits and ties ranted on the news about how they saw the crisis coming.

How to live in a world full of Black Swans?

So, Black Swans cannot be predicted. But you can learn to live with them. Here are some tips Taleb gives us:

Learn to distinguish “good” accidents from “bad” ones. There are good Black Swans in movies, science, or venture capital deals. If you are engaged in such a business, then your happiness lies in ignorance, especially if your competitors also know nothing, but, unlike you, have no idea about it. But in areas where the inability to calculate risks is fraught with failure, they should be feared. Service in the army and state security, as well as banking activities belong to such areas.

Think bigger and don't try to predict a specific Black Swan. Louis Pasteur, who said that luck loves those who are ready for it, understood that in order to make a discovery, there is no point in stubbornly looking for something specific. Scientists are working hard to create the conditions for a fluke to catch the Black Swan.

Look for a meeting with the Black Swan. A publisher, a representative of a reputable foundation or a famous scientist expresses a desire to meet with you - do not miss this opportunity - it may not come your way a second time. Don't get stuck in a routine, communicate with people. In a big city, the likelihood of meeting a good Black Swan is greater than in the middle of nowhere.

Be suspicious of government plans and forecasts. We should not forget that the main thing for an official and a banker is to stay afloat, and not at all to get to the bottom of the truth. This does not mean that this entire crowd is completely useless: you just need to be on your guard and not fall victim to their “production costs.”

Do not waste your nerves and time fighting with “specialists” of all stripes. There have been and will always be stupid forecasts, the main thing is not to trust them too much. When you hear a specialist pronounce the words “equilibrium” and “normal distribution,” do not argue with him, but stick a rat down his collar.

Taleb's 10 Black Swan Principles for a Sustainable World

It is better for something fragile to break when it is small than when it becomes large and significant

It is unacceptable to impose losses on everyone and privatize profits to a select few

People who drove a school bus blindfolded (and crashed it) can't be trusted with a new bus.

You cannot offer a nuclear power plant manager an incentive bonus without a significant penalty in case of failure

Balance complexity with simplicity

Do not give a stick of dynamite to children, even if you have warned them and provided them with instructions.

Only financial pyramid scams can be built on the trust of investors. For government securities, “restoration of confidence” is unacceptable

Even if a drug addict is experiencing withdrawal, do not give him a new dose.

Citizens must be protected from fluctuations in the value of financial assets or erroneous “expert” advice regarding their pension provision

Start frying the omelet with previously broken eggs.

sources

http://lebeddeva.ru/vse-o-lebedyah/chto-takoe-chernyj-lebed.html

http://bitnovosti.com/2014/04/08/bitcoin-black-swan/

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A7%D1%91%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0 %B5%D0%B4%D1%8C_(%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F)

http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/1678229

Let me give you some more interesting topics: for example, and here The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Black swans are common inhabitants of many zoos and eco-parks around the world. They differ from their white relatives not only in color, but also in the looseness of the down, size, habitat and character. The image of a black swan has become so popular that it is reflected in economics, as well as in numerous dream books.

Description of the species

Black swans became known to Europeans only after the discovery of Australia and Tasmania. This is where this beautiful and exotic bird comes from. After the discovery of New Zealand, black swans came to these islands, where they became incredibly popular in private backyards and parks.

The black plumage of birds has a peculiar moire pattern created by the grayish edging of the outer feather.

Some birds have interspersed white or even black and white feathers. It is very common to find representatives of this species with curled flight feathers and shoulder feathers. The beak is bright scarlet. The feet are most often black or blue-black. The young are distinguished by their grayish-brown feather color and light, often pink, beak.

The black swan is a rather large bird. The weight of individual representatives can reach ten kilograms or more, and the wingspan is about two meters. The body length of females does not exceed 110 cm, males - 150 cm.

Representatives of this species have the longest neck among all their relatives, a neat small head and a short, dense tail. The length and structure of the neck allows it to reach food even from great depths.

Lifestyle

Despite the fact that birds are excellent flyers, they rarely fly. The warm climate allows black swans to lead a sedentary lifestyle, flying to new feeding grounds only as a last resort.

To take off, they need a large open water space - at least 70 meters. The long takeoff run is explained by the heavy weight and structure of the wings.

Black swans live in large colonies and this makes them different from any other species. Often a colony numbers up to 50 pairs. They are very tolerant of their neighbors and rarely show aggression. Different individuals constantly communicate with each other using loud guttural sounds.

In nature, birds have almost no enemies among animals: they are so strong that they can even drive away a dingo. However, young animals are often hunted by reptiles and birds of prey.

The swans' diet consists of small algae, aquatic vegetation, grass and young shoots of bushes growing near the reservoir. They can also feast on fish fry, small amphibians, crustaceans and invertebrates. A colony of birds prefers to settle near open and non-swampy bodies of water, on the banks of slow-flowing rivers or on the sea coast.

If there are agricultural fields with wheat, corn or barley crops near the nesting site, the birds will raid and eat part of the seedlings and ripened crops.

Reproduction

Swans form pairs at the age of two to three years and remain faithful to their partner throughout their lives. The breeding season begins with the arrival of rains: this is due to a rise in water levels and an increase in the amount of food. The mating season begins with beautiful dances: one of the partners spins, gracefully shaking his neck and showing off his plumage. When the second partner joins the game, both birds begin to move in sync, stretching their necks, spreading their wings, and swimming. Usually the dance lasts no more than half an hour and ends with mating.

Both partners take part in the construction of the nest. The nest is built from stems, leaves, dry grass and fluff. Most often they choose a place in shallow water or at the very edge of the water. If there is an abundance of food, the pair will use one nest for several years. There are usually no more than seven eggs in a clutch. The incubation period is one and a half months.

Both the male and the female incubate the eggs. For the first two days, the chicks remain in the nest.

On the third day, they follow their parents in search of food, and spend almost all their time on the water. The young begin to fly on the wing after the first adult molt - at four to five months, and remain with their parents until the next breeding season.

Another distinctive feature of the subspecies is the ability to form a same-sex pair. It is very rare, but you can find a pair of two males. During the breeding season, they call for a female and expel her from the nest immediately after laying eggs. Both partners incubate the eggs and care for the offspring.

Swans protection

With the discovery and settlement of the continent, birds began to be actively exterminated: they were hunted everywhere for their beautiful feathers, down and meat. This led to the fact that the subspecies almost completely disappeared. At the beginning of the last century, the governments of Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand entered into an agreement under which the shooting of black swans is strictly prohibited and the species is protected. The creation of reserves and work to restore the population led to a rapid increase in the number of swans.

Today the subspecies is no longer in danger of extinction. In some areas of Australia and New Zealand, swarms have become so large that they are causing irreparable damage to rural fields. Therefore, authorities issue licenses for shooting a certain number of birds.

Black swans in legends and dreams

There are quite a few interesting facts and legends associated with black swans. One of them says that these birds are inhabited by the souls of deceased ancestors wandering through the heavens. The color of the swan also played a large role in the legends of aboriginal peoples: black symbolizes various sacraments, death, the afterlife and intuition.

The black swan has found its place in dream books. Seeing a bird in a dream means:

• Doubts and dubious connections,
• Unpleasant meetings
• Betrayal of friends
• Development of intuitive abilities,
• For a woman: worries and household chores,
• For a man: parting with his beloved, travel, departure,
• Loneliness and the search for one's spirituality.

A dreamed chick means unrequited love, and a pair of birds means resolution of conflicts and unpleasant situations. Flying swans in a dream - to wealth and power. But if you dreamed of a black and white swan, you need to expect losses, troubles, fuss and regrets. Very often, a dream with a black and white bird means that a person is dependent on someone or something, under the power of circumstances.

Black Swan theory

Many people have heard about the “black swan” theory, but not everyone knows what this term means. The theory was developed by Nicholas Taleb and is based on the fact that the very idea of ​​a black swan was considered absurd for many centuries. Despite the fact that references to these birds can be found in various sources, before the discovery of Australia, the black swan was more of a mythical creature. The discovery of a real bird with black plumage came as a real surprise to European ornithologists.

That is, the meaning of the theory: the absolute unpredictability of the development of any event.

He described the meaning of his theory in the book “Fooled by Accidents.” In it, he examines in detail what unpredictability is and the magnitude of random consequences that can occur. The author extends the concept of unpredictable events only to those that meet the following requirements:

• Surprise,
• Significant consequences
• Possibility of explanation after the event has occurred.

The term and expression “black swan” refers to all global scientific discoveries and historical events, economic crises and booms.

Characteristics of the species

Vlaming (a European naturalist) was amazed when he first saw in 1697 that swans in Australia were black. The scientific description of the species was made by the English naturalist John Latham in 1790. The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is found in wetlands throughout southwestern and eastern Australia and the adjacent offshore islands of Tasmania, as well as New Zealand, where the black swan was introduced in 1864 and has been successfully introduced. In central and northern Australia this species is quite rare. The black swan is a common species of Australian avifauna, nesting in swamps and river mouths, preferring shallow bodies of water. In Europe and North America, black swans can be found in protected areas and also in zoos. In Europe, there is also a natural population of black swans of 60-70 breeding pairs, formed from abandoned and feral birds in the Netherlands and, possibly, Germany. This is a sedentary species, however, in the presence of disturbance or depending on climatic factors, it can migrate to calmer and more favorable places, but no further than 100 km.

Currently, the existence of the black swan in the world is not threatened, and the global population of the swan, according to IUCN estimates, ranges from 100,000 to one million adults.

Description of the species

Black swans do not have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are slightly smaller in size and also have a shorter neck and beak. The color of the plumage and paws of adult birds is black. And only the primary flight feathers are white. The beak is bright red with a white tip. Juvenile birds are greyish-brown with greyish flight feathers. The sizes of black swans vary between 110 and 142 cm in length, and weight can be from 3.7 to 9 kg. The wingspan ranges from 1.6 to 2 meters. The long neck has a characteristic " S "-shaped and relatively longer than other species of swans, due to which the swan can obtain food in deeper bodies of water. Black swans moult once a year after breeding. Due to molting, swans cannot fly for about a month, so they stay in large open water areas away from predators.The estimated lifespan of a black swan in the wild is about 10 years.

Keeping black swans in captivity and describing the climate of their natural range.

The black swan inhabits temperate and subtropical climate zones characterized by relatively mild winters.The black swan is easily tamed and has quickly become a common ornamental bird in parks and gardens around the world. Black swans are especially popular in Western Europe, particularly in the UK.

The first black swans were brought to Great Britain in 1791, and a little later to France. The first offspring were obtained in 1837 at the London Zoo, and already in 1850 black swans were successfully bred in Germany and France.

It is advisable to keep black swans separately from other swan species, although if the body of water is large enough they can coexist with a pair of mute swans, provided their nesting territories do not overlap. Young birds can be kept in flocks, but it is better for older pairs to have their own place. Black swans are less aggressive towards geese and ducks than other swans, but can be aggressive towards dark geese. The degree of aggressiveness increases during the breeding season - at this time, black swans can kill any ducks that accidentally appear near the nest. They can also be aggressive towards people. If you keep black swans solely for beauty, then it is better to buy female black swans, as males can conflict with each other.

In captivity, the black swan can form interspecific pairs with other waterfowl, in particular, hybrids have been recorded with the mute mute swan, tundra swan, whooper swan, trumpeter swan, and even with the gray goose and Canada goose.

Even though they are monogamous, black swans are the most social of all swan species. Pairs of these birds also build nests closer together than other swan species.

Feeding black swans in captivity and in the wild.

Black swans are predominantly herbivorous birds, although some regional and seasonal variations in diet are observed. The main food is aquatic plants and small algae (cattail, Vallisneria, pondweed, chara algae, duckweed). They also do not give up grains, such as wheat or corn. They can pluck leaves from the lower branches of coastal trees (weeping willows, etc.). They may sometimes accidentally eat a few insects or small aquatic invertebrates.

In captivity, they can feed on grain, bread and pellets special for waterfowl, and it is also necessary to provide the birds with fresh greens throughout the year. Swans will eat aquatic weeds and meadow grasses, but will not refuse the lettuce and cabbage offered by the owner. They are relatively slow eaters and care should be taken to ensure that in mixed multi-species flocks they receive sufficient nutrition.

Reproduction and breeding of black swans

The mating season varies greatly in time depending on the breeding area and usually occurs in autumn (March-April) and winter. A connection has been established between the reproduction of black swans and the annual cycles of water level fluctuations. In Europe, black swans maintain their natural breeding rhythm and often hatch chicks in winter. They usually nest in colonies. Tall, hill-shaped nests are built from coarse reed stalks in shallow water, small islands or on the river bank.

A complete clutch often consists of 5 (4-8) greenish-white eggs. The incubation period is about 6 weeks. They begin to incubate only after the last egg is laid, so the chicks hatch synchronously. Both sexes incubate. The nest is actively protected from all possible enemies. After hatching, the little swans remain on the nest for about 36 hours, and then stay with their parents for about 9 months. Swans can ride on the backs of their parents during long migrations to deeper bodies of water. Young birds chicks fledge after about five months. Puberty occurs between two and a half to three years, after which males, especially in captivity, become extremely warlike and aggressive.

During the season, two full clutches are possible. The first brood of chicks will be abandoned if the swans begin a second breeding cycle in the same season. In this case, and if the chicks were hatched in an incubator, they should be kept in a nursery with a heat lamp (the temperature during the first week of life in the nursery should be at least 33 ° C), and there must be enough space in the room for the birds, so that they can choose their comfort zone. It is necessary to provide access to water for bathing; for starters, these should be bowls of the appropriate size. Swans should be fed chopped, hard-boiled eggs for the first few days, and then fed with special granules and/or chopped greens. Clean drinking water and sand should always be available. If the weather permits, the swans can be outside in an enclosure with a pond two to three times a week.

Like other swans, the black swan is mostly monogamous, and lives in established pairs until the death of one of the partners. Changing partners is extremely rare (about 6% of divorces). Recent research has shown that about a third of all litters are raised with the help of an additional male. It is estimated that a quarter of all couples are homosexual, mostly male couples. Such pairs steal nests, or form a temporary trio with females to obtain eggs, driving away the female immediately after laying eggs.

Black swans court each other beautifully and interestingly during the breeding season. We will give a description of this ritual from the words of N.Yu. Feoktistova. (The tale of a swan, black as pitch. No. 05/2005 of the newspaper "Biology") .

“The lacy plumage is displayed by swans during a very beautiful courtship ritual that precedes and accompanies the mating process. The performance begins with the male or female attracting the partner's attention with graceful movements of his long neck. The initiating bird first stretches its neck and then plunges it into the water - and so on until the second partner enters the dance. Now both swans stretch out and plunge their necks into the water in front of each other, and then the real ballet on the water begins. Two birds intertwine their necks and simultaneously plunge them into the water... and this is repeated for more than 20 minutes. The mating that follows a flawless dance looks much more clumsy. The male grabs the tuft of feathers on the female's neck with his beak and climbs onto her back. Since it is much heavier, the female plunges into the water. After a few seconds (that’s how long copulation lasts), she frees her neck from captivity, emits a loud cry and breaks out to the surface. Then the female stretches her neck upward, raises her wings and, together with the male, utters another loud cry. Having recovered from the mating ritual, both birds circle each other for a while.”

Aviaries for black swans.

Black swans are generally quite easy to keep in captivity. For a prosperous existence, they need to be provided with access to a reservoir with gentle banks (preferably natural and large) and good meadows around. In winter, it is necessary to maintain a surface of ice-free water in the reservoir. The shore of the reservoir is partially lined with straw.

For one pair, the enclosure must be at least 400 square meters. m., taking into account that half will be occupied by a pond, and the other half by pasture. The banks, as we already know, should be flat so that birds and their chicks can easily get out of the water onto land and back. Fences adjacent to other enclosures should be dense or planted to avoid injury to swans, which often try to fight each other through the wire fences. The fence should also be high enough to prevent swans from fighting over the top of the partitions.

The swan is the most graceful and sophisticated bird, looking at which you think that nature has endowed them with the best appearance.

The black swan is common on the Australian continent. If earlier this individual was on the verge of extinction, now there is nothing to fear, this bird was able to cross the threshold of extinction and their number exceeds 500 thousand individuals.

Interesting facts about black swans:

• Black swans make their flights at night.
• Previously, there were no black swans in Europe, and they appeared only at the end of the 18th century. This was because local people in the countries believed that a black swan brought bad luck.
• The female lays five to ten eggs.
• Black swans live relatively long for birds, and the total number of years is ten to twelve.
• In New Zealand, damage to farm plantations involving black swans is very common.
• Now, black swans exceed 500 thousand, and previously there were critically few of them due to the fact that bird hunting was allowed, but after the management made the necessary changes to the legislation, bird hunting stopped, and their reproduction led to a significant increase .
• The bulk of the birds are found on the Australian mainland, and the rest live in the waters of New Zealand.

How does this bird differ from others of its kind?

Appearance

The black swan grows in length by a meter or one and a half, and its weight reaches from three to ten kilograms. The wingspan reaches from one to two meters. Although white swans have the same curved neck, the black swan's neck is considered the longest. At the ends of the feathers the color becomes white. The beak of a black swan is red. Males are significantly smaller in size than females.

Diet and lifestyle of swans

Depending on the climate, swans periodically change their habitats and fly from less arid regions to areas with a temperate climate. Black swans live on rivers and lakes and can swim long distances from the shore. When a swan begins to molt, it is automatically deprived of the opportunity to fly and remains on the surface of the water, for its own safety from attacks by predators.


Black swans live most of the time in water, but they do not feed on baby fish or fish, but on algae and small grass; if they are in nature reserves, they are fed with grain.

Reproductive function

To reproduce their offspring, swans look for a partner with whom they will live for the rest of their lives. In order for their offspring to be born, swans need rain, which begins differently in different parts of the continent. If there is no rain, then the offspring may not be born. The black swan builds a voluminous nest, which it places on the banks of reservoirs. It is necessary that part of the nest touches the water. Sometimes not all swans build nests on land; some of them build them on the very surface of the water, that is, floating nests.


Black swans nest in colonies that sometimes exceed more than 1000 pairs. First of all, the female must lay a green egg immediately after building the nest, and then all the other eggs. Males help females plant eggs when the female can no longer manage this alone. Both of them obtain prey for their chicks. Accompanied by one of the parents, the chicks float on the water after hatching. Basically, the chicks float together accompanied by the male, since the female must remain in the nest until the last egg and wait for its hatching; after this has occurred, she goes to float together with her entire family.

Lifestyle

Unlike many aquatic birds and other species of swans, the black swan is not a migratory bird. However, it is very mobile and even relatively small disturbances, such as prolonged noise, can force it to change its location. The new location, however, is usually located no further than 100 km from the old one. Black swans in most cases spend their entire lives in approximately the same region where they were born and raised, reacting to changes in water levels. Young males try to prevent other males from settling in their range. In dry years, many swans gather on the coasts of Australia, in protected lagoons and bays.

Nutrition

Black swans feed mainly on aquatic plants and small algae; they also do not disdain grains, such as wheat or corn. Sometimes they pluck leaves from the branches of weeping willows or coastal grasses hanging down to the water.

Reproduction

Mating seasons vary depending on the region and its typical annual cycles of high water levels. However, black swans brought to Europe sometimes retain their old Australian rhythm and often hatch their chicks in winter. As a rule, black swans nest in colonies, building a large hill-shaped nest in some shallow water. From year to year they can reuse the same nest, adjusting it as necessary. Like other swans, the black swan is an extremely loyal bird and does not change its partners. Both parents participate in building the nest and caring for the offspring.

The female lays four to eight greenish, unpleasant-smelling eggs, which are subsequently incubated by both parents alternately for six weeks. Males do not cope well with this task, as they often forget to turn the eggs with their beaks or sit by the eggs. Males and females jointly care for the chicks, which learn to fly five months after birth. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of two and a half to three years, after which males become quite aggressive, especially in captivity.

Cultural aspects

The first European to mention the black swans of Australia was in 1697 the traveler Willem de Vlaminck, who named the river where they were seen the river of swans, or Swan. Reports of black swans were confirmed in 1726, when two specimens captured on the island of Derk Hartog were brought to Batavia.

The black swan is now considered a symbol of Western Australia; it is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of this state. The image of a black swan can also be found on stamps and coats of arms of four cities in eastern Australia.

The main character of G. Gazdanov’s story “Black Swans” (1930) paints an image of Australia as a country of antipodes - an unattainable paradise of graceful black swans, where life is completely different than in Europe: “And he spoke about the sky covered with mighty black wings - this some other history of the world, this is the possibility of a different understanding of everything that exists.”

see also

Write a review about the article "Black Swan"

Notes

Excerpt characterizing the Black Swan