Mute swan in display

Wings arched high over the back like this is called busking — a mute swan’s territorial display, used to look larger and more threatening to a rival or anything else it perceives as a threat nearby. The black knob at the base of the orange bill is more pronounced on males, especially during breeding season.

Why it matters

Mute swans are not native to North America — they were introduced from Europe in the 1800s as ornamental birds — and in many regions they’re now considered invasive, aggressively displacing native waterfowl from nesting territory much like this display suggests.

Getting the shot

Got low, near the swan’s own eye level on the water, which makes a busking display read as genuinely imposing rather than diminished by a downward angle. The soft blue winter water gave a clean, uncluttered background for the white plumage.