There are few birds that are more elegant than the swan. With its sleek body and graceful lines, it creates a beautiful image as it glides across a calm body of water.
For some people, the most enduring image of the swan comes from the well-known fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling” by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.
In this story, a young, homely bird is rejected because of its appearance but is later transformed into a stunning swan that flies away with a new family.
In real life, a cygnet (see definition and hear pronunciation below) flies for the first time a few months after being hatched. In adulthood, a swan’s wingspan can extend six to eight feet across.
That’s truly a big bird!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: If you were to write a story about a swan, how would you portray the bird?
CYGNET: A young swan.
Click to hear the pronunciation of cygnet: