Do swans remember people?

[Dbag101]

This is a bit of an interesting one. I often stop by a nature reserve type place, near me, on my journeys. There were family of mute swans here ( mum, dad, cygnets ) I was there for the first time in a while today, and This turned up, wagging its tail ( like a dog ) and followed me about quite a lot. Could this be the Cygnet, all fully fledged, from a while back?. I don’t feed them, or encourage them, but she really did make a bee line for me. Do swans have facial recognition or something?

Edited by Dbag101 on Monday 18th November 18:59

[w1bbles]

I grew up next to a loch that had a resident swan. It appeared when I was about 10 and stayed for about 5 years. It seemed to know people and would let my Dad pick it up and put it under his arm. It seemed to recognise people and was quite happy for my Dad to handle it and it (the swan) would rub its beak on his face in what seemed to be a display of affection. So yes, seems possible/probable. It was run over on the main road about 500 metres away, which was quite traumatic for us all!

[Master Of Puppets]

Depends how long ago you are talking about, years or months?, as cygnets don't lose all their brown feathers until after
their 2nd summer it would have to be 2 + years you were last there as that looks to be a well matured adult bird, 3 years old
at the very least.

If they were hatched in that location it's even more unlikely as the adult pair who are resident almost always chase the cygnets
off the territory after a few months.

[TheJimi]

Dbag101 said:

This is a bit of an interesting one. I often stop by a nature reserve type place, near me, on my journeys. There were family of mute swans here ( mum, dad, signets ) I was there for the first time in a while today, and This turned up, wagging its tail ( like a dog ) and followed me about quite a lot. Could this be the signet, all fully fledged, from a while back?. I don’t feed them, or encourage them, but she really did make a bee line for me. Do swans have facial recognition or something?

That particular swan probably got the latest software update.

[ARHarh]

Or it pesters every passer by for food.

[Master Of Puppets]

ARHarh said:

Or it pesters every passer by for food.

Probably.

Birds do recognise different people though, I've got 4 woodpigeons that come to my garden every single day for peanuts, and have
been for the last 4 years, I hold out my hand and each one flys up and scoffs them, 3 of them will happily take their head being tickled
as well, and even hunker down on their belly totally at ease, yet if anyone else appears they are off, I've had mates and relatives
try the same feeding tactic with them and they won't come near them.

Birds are far more intelligent than most people give them credit for.



This one can be a serious PITA sometimes, jumps on everything demanding more grub, a seriously greedy girl.

[Mr MXT]

Do aardvarks gamble?

[Mobile Chicane]

I think birds can recognise people. Or at least, pick out 'their' person from among a group.

I worked at an office in Brighton where one of my colleagues started feeding a seagull. It had a wonky leg, so easily identifiable.

It pecked on the window for food whenever she sat nearby, but ignored everyone else.

[Roofless Toothless]

This reminds me of Gretchen’s swan thread from a while back.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Simpo Two]

ARHarh said:

Or it pesters every passer by for food.

Yes; I think it's learned that people carry food. Ducks do the same. Good Darwinian behaviour!

[TheJimi]

Master Of Puppets said:

ARHarh said:

Or it pesters every passer by for food.

Birds are far more intelligent than most people give them credit for.

Agreed.

Although, watch a pigeon build a "nest" and you'll find yourself questioning that

Edited by TheJimi on Wednesday 20th November 09:13

[Glassman]

I know crows do. Vengeful little s too.

[Master Of Puppets]

TheJimi said:

Master Of Puppets said:

ARHarh said:

Or it pesters every passer by for food.

Birds are far more intelligent than most people give them credit for.

Agreed.

Although, watch a pigeon build a "nest" and you'll find yourself questioning that

Edited by TheJimi on Wednesday 20th November 09:13

Have you ever tried to build one with no hands just using your mouth?

[ChevronB19]

TheJimi said:

Master Of Puppets said:

ARHarh said:

Or it pesters every passer by for food.

Birds are far more intelligent than most people give them credit for.

Agreed.

Although, watch a pigeon build a "nest" and you'll find yourself questioning that

Edited by TheJimi on Wednesday 20th November 09:13

Ditto pheasants, which are terminally thick. Beautiful, but thick.

However I do remember a news story from a few weeks back that showed that corvids can bear grudges for years. Mate of mine in Oz has multiple wild ‘pet’ Magpies that fly down, sit on her knee and get hand fed.