Cygnus Skull Replica or Trumpeter Swan Skull Replica measures 7.7 inches. Trumpeter Swan Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).
The Cygnus or Trumpeter swan is the largest extant species of waterfowl, and both the heaviest and longest native bird of North America.
Adults usually measure 4 ft 6 in to 5 ft 5 in. long. The weight of adult birds is typically 15–30 lb.
Like other swans, Cygnus or Trumpeter swans often mate for life, and both parents participate in raising their young, but primarily the female incubates the eggs.
Most pair bonds are formed when swans are 5 to 7 years old, although some pairs do not form until they are nearly 20 years old.
“Divorces” have been known between birds, in which case the mates will be serially monogamous, with mates in differing breeding seasons.
Occasionally, if his mate dies, a male Trumpeter swan may not pair again for the rest of his life.
In late April, breeding Cygnus or Trumpeter swans pairs meet to begin the process of constructing a nest, which can take 11 to 35 days. Before this grueling process can come to be, much like many other species of birds, these creatures undergo several courtship rituals.
Trumpeter swans have a strong tendency to avoid interactions with conspecifics, therefore it is implied that at first contact of a potential mating pair there is some unwillingness in the male and female to make this connection.
In order to overcome the initial encounter, two common displays can occur. At first, the male tends to pursue the female in a non-aggressive way.
When the female allows the approach, the male will touch the breast of its body to the flank of the female which then causes both individuals to touch the breasts of their bodies together.
At this point the feathers on the neck of the male are stood up and the bills of the mating pair are pointed down indicating pacification.
Another act of courtship occurs when a male Cygnus or Trumpeter swans swims in the direction of a possible mate and continuously turns its head from side to side to get the attention or perhaps impress the female.
Other common behavioral displays presented by the pair include spreading and raising their wings, the rapid or almost quivering motion of the wings, particular head motions that include bobbing, and finally the most known (and what the name of this animal originates) is the trumpeting that occurs.
Typically a female trumpeter swan will lay four to six eggs and will incubate them for 32 to 37 days until they hatch. The eggs average 2.9 in wide, 4.5 in. long, and weigh about 11.3 oz. The eggs are quite possibly the largest of any flying bird alive today.
