“Ugly duckling”: UdeC Veterinary explains transformation of swans in Laguna Los Patos

As in the classic tale of the Ugly Duckling, the swan chicks of the Los Patos Lagoon of the University of Concepción They have attracted the eyes of people who visit the university campus. This because two months after being born, The birds began to change the white plumage with which they were known, for a gray one that bears little resemblance to that of their parents.

The birth of the chicks marked a milestone within the university campus, since the phenomenon had not been seen for two years. The last record of a breeding was 2020 but, for unknown reasons, the bird did not survive.

Among the reasons being considered, the ones that take more force would have to do with the entry of dogs into the lagoon or the presence of rodents in the place that could be attacked to the birds when they were not yet capable of defending themselves.

plumage change

Gone are the postcards of the chicks wearing the white and light plumage of the first days. To date, birds are in the process of change, which later it will lead them to become adult swanswith their characteristic colors and ready to reproduce.

The academic of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Director of the Center for the Rescue and Rehabilitation of Wild Fauna of the University of Concepción, Dr. Paula Aravena Bustosexplained that the change in plumage is normal and could last for another 10 months, when the birds reach adulthood and adopt the same colors as their parents.

“The chick is born covered in white down and after two months the feathers change to a very light brown color, they may even look a little mottled. At this age, the legs are gray, half blue and the bill -although the correct term is ranfoteca- also looks dark gray. As they grow, after two months of life, we see that the neck turns gray and little by little it darkens until it ends in the characteristic black coloration of the species”, he explained.

At that point, the swans will already be one year old and will acquire the traditional white plumage on the body, the black neck and the white line at the level of the eyes, added Dr. Aravena.

“From the age of three, a red fleshy structure begins to grow at the base of the beak called caruncle and it is very characteristic of swans. When that moment arrives, we will find ourselves in the presence of a fully adult swan and in reproductive conditions; that is to say, that it can already participate in the courtship and the mating process ”, he added.

care

The Director of Wild Fauna Rescue and Rehabilitation Center of the University of Concepción called to care for the birds so they can stay on campus. As he explained, it all depends on how comfortable they feel in the place once winter arrives, since, being a migratory species, they could decide to find a more suitable place for them during half the year. “The truth is that they are still little, first they must surviveso I don’t think they emigrate,” he said.

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“They are representatives of national biodiversityare native species, are endemic to the southern cone of America, are distributed from Brazil to Tierra del Fuego, therefore, they play an important role in moving seeds between one lagoon and another, stimulating biodiversity. They mainly eat algae, so they are also controllers of the water quality of the lagoons. They also feed on insect larvae, so they also prevent us from having so many mosquitoes and so many mosquitoes, ”he explained.

Before concluding, the academic emphasized that “it is not only a beautiful bird, but also its ecosystemic role is very important. For this reason, if people take dogs for a walk at the UdeC, they must not let them loose and avoid bringing them near the birds. Don’t feed them either, because it can cause problems.”