The Story
This is a Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) that I photographed at the Zhangye National Wetland Park in Zhangye, Gansu, China on March 28, 2018. It was introduced to other countries as an ornamental bird in the 1800s and is a popular bird in parks and collections. Pairs are monogamous and share incubation and the care of the cygnets. The black swan breeds mainly in southeast and southwest Australia. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The park partly overlaps the Zhangye Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve, which covers 41,164 hectares and was listed as a Wetland of International Importance in 2015.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW, at 1/800 sec, f/9, ISO 400. Wetlands like this one are a stopover for migrating birds in the dry Hexi Corridor, and their protection depends on keeping water in the Heihe.
©2018 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) belongs to the family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2018), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List