How Swans Use Their Feet to Elegantly Land on Water

Forevergreen shared a beautiful clip of a swan coming in for a landing over and into the water. This process is unique, as the swan acts like a plane, lowering its webbed feet down and using them as hydroplaning skis. This allows the swan to slow down before elegantly landing.

Swans are renowned for their graceful landings on water, a process that combines strength and elegance. As they descend, swans use their outstretched wings to slow down and control their speed. Just before touching the water, they extend their webbed feet, acting as natural brakes to gently skid across the surface.

Slow Motion Video of Swans Landing in Water

How Swans Take Off Into Flight

The PBS series SuperNature—Wild Flyers captured how swans take off from water and into the air.

To take off and beat gravity, the jumbo jet of the bird world needs a runway and carefully applied power.

Behind the Scenes Documenting a Flying Swan

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

Recent Posts