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The New Zealand swan (Moriori: poūwa, Cygnus sumnerensis) is an extinct indigenous swan from the Chatham Islands and the South Island of New Zealand.Discovered as archaeological remains in 1889, it was originally considered a separate species from the Australian black swan (Cygnus atratus) because of its slightly larger bones, and swans not having been introduced to New Zealand until 1864.
The black swan was a literary or artistic image among Europeans even before their arrival in Australia. Cultural reference has been based on symbolic contrast and as a distinctive motif. The black swan's role in Australian heraldry and culture extends to the first founding of the colonies in the eighteenth century.
In the case of the black swan (which was originally thought to have been introduced by humans but is now suspected to have self-introduced), the invading species re-occupied part of its former range (the extinct New Zealand swan is now believed to be a subspecies of the black swan).
This species was considered once synonymous with the Australian black swan which was later introduced to New Zealand by Europeans, but an ancient DNA study confirmed that they were different species that separated from a common ancestor 1–2 million years ago.
Given the broad sweep of the black swan's natural habitat, the presence of only nine distinctive place names or name clusters within that range indicates the rarity of "Black Swan" as a toponym. New Zealand also has a Black Swan Stream in the South Auckland district. [43] The more generic toponym "Swan" invariably refers to black swans.
Black swan: Nomadic with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions. Black plumage and a red bill. Australia, introduced into New Zealand and the Chatham Islands, with additional smaller introductions in Britain, the United States, Japan and China. Subgenus Sthenelides: Cygnus melancoryphus: Black-necked swan: South America ...
Black swans swimming in Brooklands Lagoon. Brooklands Lagoon is an elongated estuary near Brooklands, Christchurch. The Styx river drains into it and it is at the mouth of the Waimakariri river. [1] The Waimakariri used to drain out of Brooklands Lagoon towards the Spencer Park end.
Inland wetlands provide habitat for pūkeko, crake and New Zealand dabchicks. White fronted herons, tūī and shags range across the coastal plain. [14] The ready availability of both birdlife and seafood encouraged early Māori settlement of the area. Introduced species such as ducks and black swans have also flourished over the last century.