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Mark Billiau.


Premium (World), region Antwerp, Belgium

Black Swan portrait

The black swan is a large waterbird native to Australia.

This swan was introduced to various countries all over the world as a popular ornamental bird in the 1800s. Specimens often escaped from captivity and formed stable populations in the wild.

2000 years ago, in Roman times, it was believed that swans were invariably white. Like purple cows and flying pigs, the black swan was a symbol of what was impossible and in medieval Europe, unicorns had more credibility.
In 1697 however, the Dutch navigator and explorer Willem de Vlamingh proofed how risky it is to declare something impossible, by finding black swans in Australia.

Dutch name : Zwarte zwaan
German name : Trauerschwan (auch Schwarzschwan genannt)
Latin name : Cygnus atratus

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