As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday, 29 May 2019

Rare sight of black swans, native to Australia, spotted in Rainbow Harbor



They are typically owned by collectors, fanciers, breeders, aviaries, estates that keep them as ornamental birds. They are a restricted species in California that need a permit to possess.

A pair of black swans were spotted off of Long Beach on May 10, 2019.
By LAYLAN CONNELLY | lconnelly@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: May 10, 2019 at 3:21 pm | UPDATED: May 13, 2019 at 2:51 pm

A pair of black swans was spotted in the Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, a rare sight for the species that is native to Australia and New Zealand.

Harbor Breeze boat captain Erik Combs said he was getting ready for the morning whale watch tour when he noticed two large dark-feathered birds next to the dock.

They had their heads in the water, and at first he thought they were Canadian geese. But when the exotic birds’ heads emerged, he noticed they had red bills.

“They came a little closer to the dock, they were coming right to us like they were hungry, they were making little honks,” he said. “They were very friendly, it looked like they were someone’s pet.”

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Martin had to search the internet to find out what kind of bird they were, and was surprised when the search showed they were the black swans that are native to Australia and New Zealand.


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