Swans Take Over Iowa Farm For Valentine’s Day

Is there anything more loving than a pair of swans? Let's start off with a fun fact... Swans weren't always in Iowa. It is reported that as early as 1935 we started to move them into Iowa.

A pair of mute swans was introduced onto Lake LaVerne in 1935. In 1995, the state Department of Natural Resources asked the university to try trumpeter swans as part of its efforts to reintroduce the once-native bird to Iowa.

Swans In Iowa

There are six species of swan. They are as follows,

mute, whooper, trumpeter, tundra, black, and black-necked. They are all members of the genus Cygnus. The coscoroba swan used to be part of the genus Cygnus but is now considered part of the genus Coscoroba.

One of the first ponds where these swans were introduced to still has the ancestors coming there to this day! Usually it is only a handful with the geese.

This February, however had a more swans pop up on the Iowans' land. He took this photo saying the swans were about 100 feet away.

Why do Swan Represent Love?

The simple answer is how loyal they are. ifaw.org states,

Swans mate for life, and they perform an elaborate courtship dance to cement their bond. They typically breed during the spring or summer, with some species traveling to the Arctic in flocks to do so. They build huge nests at the edge of the water, where a female swan lays between three and eight eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. When hatched, cygnets stay with their parents for several months before joining a flock.

Truly beautiful creatures!