Talk:Swan

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Mytji is wrong with the species and common names on this page. For instance why does a swan called the American whistling swan only live in Britain? The article text and the chart at the bottom of the page do not agree, I think. Surely this is a mistake. Rmhermen 16:32 Mar 5, 2003 (UTC)

What species name is used for the tundra swan by those who consider it a separate species from Bewick's swan? Vicki Rosenzweig

Those who consider them to be separate species call them C. columbianus and C. bewickii respectively. This was explained in my earlier pedantic and hard-to-read version (http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Swan&oldid=766947) but was lost in Jimfbleak's otherwise successful improvement. -- Heron

I think my picture looks nicer than the one placed in the table, does anyone else agrreed it should be resized and changed? Also my picture is a picture for wikipedia, not a public domain image from anotehr site. -fonzy

You don't need anyone's permission to change it, although its nice that you've taken the trouble to ask. The only thing I would say is that 250 pixel width has become semi-standard for pictures in tables, with a link to a larger version if desired.
After all, your picture may also be replaced or editted at some future date-go for it. jimfbleak 05:36 May 13, 2003 (UTC)
I didn't spot your pic (honestly I didn't!) when I put mine into the taxobox or I would have chosen one which looked less like yours.
I can't understand why you say my pic is "a public domain image from another site". It certainly is not from another site, I took the pic myself and it doesn't appear anyewhere else on the internet. I went over to the local park specially to take pictures for Wikipedia.
My method is that I always give a larger version for anyone who wants to print the pic or to use it in a project and I make it 250 pixels wide to fit the "standard" taxobox size.
Adrian Pingstone 21:53 3 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Dining on swan

".. roast swan is a traditional item at celebratory dinners in certain Oxbridge colleges.. "

Erm... this is Peterhouse in Porterhouse Blue surely and not a reality - I don't think that you can actually dine on Swan m so unless someone provides firm evidence I think this should be removed. IVoteTurkey 15:44, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Of course it is possible to eat swan. Medieval cookbooks fairly stink of roast swan:
For to dihyte a swan. Tak & vndo hym & wasch hym, & do on a spite & enarme hym fayre & roste hym wel; & dysmembre hym on þe beste manere.
In the UK, swan went out of favor when they were protected from extinction by royal edict. Tafinucane 21:22, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] swan ownership

reverted recent edit since no swans other than Mute Swan are owned by the the crown, and only some of those.

[edit] Nonsense etymology

Taken out of the article:

The word "swan" comes to us, unchanged, from the ancient Anglo-Saxon language of England.

So do many hundreds of words...

It is possible that the word swan has its ultimate root even earlier, arising in part from the Celtic Brythonic survival Gwen (meaning "white").

Er, no... compare German Schwan, Dutch zwaan and Norse svanr. No need for any Caltic survival whatsoever.

[edit] Swan picture

Enlarge

could anyone tell me what breed of swan this is? Thanks! Tekana | Talk 14:22, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

It's a Mute Swan (only white one with red bill) jimfbleak 15:41, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Evolution of Swan linked to Australia?

I'm most interested in where it most likely developed first. Such as Australia. Maybe not?... Questions are... during evolution, when and where did the swan first appear, and how did the two dramatically different colors occur? Why are they only in the few spots of the globe? Anyone know? I like to know these things, because we never really talk about these minor details. If you ask a child what color a swan is, 99% will say White. Although it is probable that the first swans where Black from Australia. (btw, not a racial implication, just an evolutionary one...) Thanks...

The ducks, geese and swans are a very old lineage, one of the earliest flying birds. I'd be surprised if they arose in Australia - five species are northern hemisphere, one Australian, and two S. American (one not in Cygnus. The swans' close relatives, the geese are also mainly N. hemisphere. In the N. hemisphere, all the swans are white!. jimfbleak 16:33, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Fried swan is popular polish meal

Limerick post:

"But not everyone is convinced. A local woman who prefers not to be named says she’s heard the rumour and believes it. "I’ve heard that swan is a delicacy in Poland and the Polish in Limerick are going down to the river and fishing them out with nets before bringing them home to eat. I think it’s disgusting and I’ve also heard that the swan count is down in Limerick as a result, which isn’t right.”"

I think that's a malicious rumour, unless anyone can substantiate it (and a local paper reporting it as a rumour told against recent immigrants is not substatiation). I've heard similar stories about Balkan refugees in my own region. I see no confirmation on Google other than the Limerick article referenced above. Also no mention under Polish cuisine. Amcguinn 11:07, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

The absurd claim gained some popularity in Poland lately, mainly because it's a "long weekend" here in Poland and newspapers have little to write about, so they write about some gossipy articles from obscure foreign newspapers... (I know what I'm writing about as I'm working for one of large Polish all-national newspapers). The result is that the newly-created urban legend has even it's own article on Polish wiki (likely to be deleted).
To make long thing short: no, people do not eat swans here. AAMoF I've never even heard of such case in my whole life. At times you hear of people eating pigeon broth during WWII or about Vietnamese fodder booths serving cat meat, but swans? It's a complete nonsense created by the Limerick Post some week ago. (check the original article). //Halibutt 15:31, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Whooper=Hooper?

I freely admit I know not about this - just someone asked me the difference between mute and "hooper" swans - I see no mention of "hooper" swans in this article, though this link lists them as "cygnus ferus", and I see that "whooper" swans are listed as "cygnus cygnus". Any help? Camillus (talk) 20:02, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

Whooper is pronounced Hooper - same thing. Cygnus ferus just means wild swan (ie Whooper Swan as opposed to Mute Swan, not sci name. jimfbleak 05:36, 13 October 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for that - but still, shouldn't the article mention something about this - that "whooper" is pronounced "hooper", that they're the same thing? A google for "hooper swan" comes up with plenty of links, so it seems that "hooper swan" is quite commonly used? Remember that perhaps the majority of folks looking up WP (as opposed to editors) are not experts... Camillus (talk) 20:46, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
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